Final exam: 64 students graduate from the ABA School of Bank Marketing.

The magic number this June was 64, That's how many graduates were a at the ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management, which is located at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

This year's graduates add to The thousands of people from around the nation and the world who have attended the school during its more than 50 years of existence. The ABA School of Bank Marketing and Management provides marketers with a foundation in marketing principles and bank management practices. It is the only school of its kind.

To graduate, students must attend two weeks of classes held over a two year period one week during each year. Students must also complete several between-session assignments, including a marketing plan or research report.

These projects are done under the guidance of faculty advisers comprised of distinguished marketing professionals.

The James Donnelly Jr. Award for the most outstanding research report was presented to M. Leon Manning Jr. of National Bank of Commerce, Starkville, Miss. His paper was entitled "Repositioning the Bank Through a Successful Name Change." The paper examines how a bank can determine whether its current name is serving its purpose and, if it is not, how the institution should go about changing the name.

Several students won awards in the "Idea Exchange," which is a display of student sponsored marketing materials from campaigns conducted by the students' banks. Displays were submitted from both year I and II students.

IDEA EXCHANGE: TOP WINNERS

Product specific 1st Place

Lesly Couper

AMCORE Bank

Rockford, Ill.

Image: 1st Place

Warner Lewis

Peoples Bank

Lawrence, Kan.

Customer Retention/Loyalty: 1st Place

Tyler H. Brown

State Bank of Southern Utah

Cedar City, Utah.

Events/Communication: 1st Place

Alicia Stansbury

National Penn Bank

Pottstown, Penn.

Best of Show

Alicia Stansbury

National Penn Bank

Pottstown, Penn