Asked what he would do with his new degree, Bartlett said, “Maybe I’ll carry it around or brandish it.”
POTEAU, Okla. — Born in Coal Hill, Ark., in 1928, one of Ronald Bartlett’s first lessons was “work or don’t eat.” Ronald has worked for more than 70 years and now, at age 96, he has completed a different kind of journey, ending with him obtaining a degree in technology.
Carl Albert State University (CASC) in Poteau celebrated Bartlett’s graduation on May 11, 2024, nearly 70 years after he began his college education on the GI Bill after his military service.
Bartlett was unable to earn his degree in the 1950s due to problems with course credits, but after his family approached the university about combining college and labor course credits with military education, he was awarded the fourth-ranked degree in the United States. He became the first person to obtain a degree at an advanced age. degree according to CASC.
He was joined by five generations of his family, wearing a college graduate hat.
When asked how it felt to receive his degree at age 96, Bartlett described an “out of this world” feeling, like a dream come true. Ms. Bartlett told her university she planned to celebrate her new degree with “her family and close friends (who are still alive),” she said.
CASC President Dr. Jay Faulkner said it was an honor to confer the degree on Mr. Bartlett and said, “His participation made this year’s commencement truly moving. We are a part of his story. It was an honor to do it.”
Bartlett worked for the cup company Dixie for 36 years, and his wife worked as a certified public accountant. Thanks to their savings, they have spent their hard-won retirement “travelling everywhere, with a focus on Hawaii for the past 18 years.”
Bartlett wisely advises, “Whatever you do in life, do it the best you can.” Asked what she would do with her new degree, Bartlett said, “Maybe I’ll carry it around and brandish it.”
Ronald Bartlett, 96, graduated from Carl Albert College in Oklahoma.
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