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101-year-old man gets high school diploma after having to drop out in 1930s


Merrill Pittman Cooper (Photo: Jefferson County Schools)
Merrill Pittman Cooper (Photo: Jefferson County Schools)
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HARPER'S FERRY, W.Va. (WJLA) — A 101-year-old man is finally getting his high school diploma.

Back in the 1930s, Merrill Pittman Cooper attended Storer College, a former high school in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.

When he was a senior, Cooper had to move to Philadelphia with his mother for financial reasons.

Cooper had a career there in transportation, eventually becoming a union vice president — but he regretted not getting his diploma.

A few years ago, his relatives reached out to Jefferson County Schools.

This past weekend, Cooper finally got his graduation ceremony and an honorary diploma with his family around him.

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