*A 101-year-old Black man has finally received his high school diploma.
Merrill Pittman Cooper attended Storer (then a Normal School) as a high school student from 1934 to 1938. His schooling took a detour however when he moved with his mother to Philadelphia for financial reasons during his high school senior year. He lived in Philadelphia for the next fifty years, pursuing a career in transportation and rising to the position of union vice president, per press release.
In 2018, Cooper visited the former Storer College campus and expressed regret over never earning his high school diploma.
“As time went on, I thought it was probably too late, so I put it behind me and made the best of the situation,” said Cooper, who grew up in Shepherdstown, W.Va., near Harpers Ferry, and now lives in Union City, N.J., per The Washington Post.
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“I got so involved in working and making a living that my dreams went out the window,” he said. But his family members decided to help him realize his dream of earning a high school diploma.
Cooper’s family members reached out to Jefferson County Schools, who began a process of collaboration with local, regional, and state entities to honor Cooper.
“The buildings that are left from Storer College are now part of Harpers Ferry National Historic[al] Park and the historians there were really interested in talking to Dad about what he experienced,” said Cooper’s son-in-law Rod Beckerink.
Jefferson County Schools superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn, Harpers Ferry NHP superintendent Tyrone Brandyburg, and Storer College National Alumni Association president James Green, Jr. all honored Cooper and his accomplishments in a graduation ceremony with his extended family.
“I can’t think of a happier day,” said Cooper after receiving his diploma, which is now displayed on his bedroom dresser. “Even though it took me awhile, I’m really happy to finally have it,” he said.
“Jefferson County Schools is committed to helping every student, young or old, fulfill their dreams,” said Gibson. “For Mr. Cooper, that meant receiving a high school diploma. We are honored to help make that dream a reality.”
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