100 and a College Grad!

Wow! I thought I was old when I graduated from the University of Oklahoma at the age of 33, but I've got nothin' on Mr. Northen who received his degree from fellow Big XII school Baylor University (link) this past Sunday.

Way to go Mr. Northen...if you're interested in grad school I'm willing to help with the application process! HA!

In honor of this fabulous accomplishment of Mr. Northen, I'm posting this in Baylor green instead of the usual Oklahoma crimson.

(Source) In his 100 years on this planet, Marvin Northen has experienced numerous wars, the Great Depression and other landmark events. The one event he worked hard for but missed out on was his own graduation from college.

On Nov. 28, Northen celebrated his 100th birthday, and Sunday morning he was surprised with a diploma from Baylor University at Trinity Heights Baptist Church.

Northen attended Baylor University from 1925 to 1929, when he had to leave for financial reasons. Northen was only one class short of obtaining his bachelor's degree in business administration.

According to Glenn Hilburn, the retired chair of Baylor's religion department, Northen has been participating in a class that can be substituted for the Chemistry 101 class he never took.

"He's passed this substitute class with a grade of A-plus without even knowing it," Hilburn said. "It's Life 101. He's mastered that course and mastered it well."

Hilburn presented Northen with a cap and gown, the framed diploma, a notebook filled with letters from friends, his official transcript and membership to the school's alumni association.

"It is subject to review at age 200," Hilburn joked.

Northen's name will also be included with other graduates in the commencement program at Baylor this month, Hilburn said.

"I was taught that I was the first in our family to receive a college degree," said Northen's grandson Gary Northen Jr. of what led his family to work to ensure the elder Northen received his diploma. "A little over two years ago when my grandparents moved into a nursing home, our family began the task of going through their household to sort out things. It was the biggest shock to us all to find in a bunch of rolled up documents a 1929 diploma for my grandfather."

Marvin Northen had always said he never graduated from college, but the diploma he had was sent to him by mistake, but he didn't have the money to send it back, the grandson said.

The whole presentation was a surprise to Northen, who said he was excited to now have his diploma.

"I didn't know it was going to be this much," he said, thinking the church would only be celebrating his birthday. "I thought it was just going to be a party."

Congratulations Mr. Northen!

Thanks Be to God and Go Bears!

Feast of Bl. Anthony Grassi