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90-Year-Old Pitt Student Graduates Decades After Earning Degree

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – After years of hard work, several thousand Pitt students now call themselves alumni.

The commencement was held Sunday for the class of 2014.

Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg delivered the commencement address – his last in that role.

He will step down as chancellor in August after 19 years.

One student waited a long time for this day.

"I got this letter back from Pitt that said you had achieved this degree, but you didn't answer the call ... so here I am 64 years later, picking up my diploma," said John C. Downs of Bethel Park.

Downs is 90 years old.

He started college way back in 1946. He says he never would have gone to school if it wasn't for the GI Bill.

"It's something I waited for, for a long, long time," Downs said.

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