85-year-old earns doctorate degree after collegiate journey that began nearly 70 years ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) - A Navy veteran in Tennessee has completed a dream he started nearly 70 years ago: at 85, he now holds a doctorate.

It was a significant moment for nearly 1,400 graduates at Tennessee State University as each name called to step across the stage told a story of grit and determination.

Some are just beginning their journey. Others have traveled a lifetime to get here.

“Well, it’s very exciting. I’m a little bit nervous, a little frightful here. I’m just really happy that my family is going to be able to be here,” Charles Whitman Dabbs said.

For Dabbs, the walk is more than a diploma; it’s about family perseverance and defying time.

“Well, I started when I graduated from high school in 1958. There were no jobs for Black boys. And so, I joined the Navy,” Dabbs said.

His journey began nearly 70 years ago, as Dabbs went from the Navy to college, then built a family and career.

“And I got a job as a drug counselor. And then as a mental health worker and just on and on,” he said.

But even as a grandfather, Dabbs wasn’t done learning.

“So, I found TSU. And I enrolled in online classes during the COVID period, and it turned into a doctorate,” Dabbs said.

At 85, Dabbs earned his doctorate in education and now goes by Dr. Dabbs.

Surrounded by classmates who are generations younger, he found friendship and a place where he belonged.

“But you know, the young people at this school have been so nice to me and so wonderful to me and so helpful in terms of the technology and where to go when I need something,” Dabbs said.

With his family cheering him on, Dabbs isn’t slowing down.

“And I’m gonna go to work as soon as I can find some HBCU to hire me,” Dabbs said.

His mission now is to give back and to prove what’s possible at any age.

“It’s never too late. It’s never too late,” Dabbs said.

It’s a lifelong lesson from a future professor.

“You know my training is as a social worker, I’m a clinical social worker at heart and I have always tried to motivate people,” he said.

Because no matter your age, there’s always time to cross the stage.