In 1939 Wally Taibleson graduated high school, in 1984 he retired and Friday, at age 90, he received his fourth degree from the California State University system.
Taibleson added a master's degree in education to his collection that already includes a bachelor's in history, a master's in history and a master's in literature and writing. All four degrees are from the Cal State-San Marcos campus.
"I think I'm pretty well known around the whole campus," Taibleson said.
According to Fox 5 San Diego, he walked across the stage to cheers and chants of "Wally" from the crowd of graduates.
At 90 years old, Taibleson is the oldest graduate from any of the 23 schools in the Cal State system. He is also nine years younger than the world's oldest college graduate, Leo Plass, and eight years younger than the world's oldest person to receive a master's degree, Nola Ochs.
Neither Plass nor Ochs have received as many degrees as Taibleson has, who started attending college in 1993 at age 70, nine years after he retired from his job as CFO and vice chairman of the board of National Can Corp. in Chicago.
"You're never too old to go to college," Taibleson said. "I'm an example."
After he retired, his son Jim Taibleson encouraged him to do something he had not yet accomplished and earn a college degree.
"It's so inspiring, it's so humbling," Jim said of his father's fourth degree.
Taibleson has likely earned his last degree due to macular degeneration, a condition that hurts his eyesight, but he may not be leaving the Cal State-San Marcos campus just yet. Fox 5 San Diego reported that he might pursue auditing classes.
