Edgar ‘E.W.’ Ford, Jr. C’78, receives his diploma at age 91

Unable to attend his own Commencement, his mailed diploma

never arrived.

At a ceremony preceding the 2013 School of Professional & Continuing Studies Commencement Exercises,

Ford finally received his long-delayed diploma.

To celebrate the School’s fiftieth

Anniversary, alumni were asked to don regalia and walk in with students at

Commencement. Among those alumni

was Ford.

35 years ago, Ford was unable to

attend his 1979 graduation

ceremony. And for all these years, Ford

and his diploma remained estranged.

When he received his invitation to participate as an alumnus, Ford

contacted Teresa Glassman in SPCS. He was ecstatic to receive the

invitation, but something was missing.

On May 11, 2013, immediately prior to Commencement, Dean Narduzzi invited alumni participants to join

President Ayers and him for breakfast, then walk to the Robins Center.

Edgar and his wife, Geraldine,

attended the breakfast. Narduzzi

and Ayers had worked with the

University Registrar on a surprise for

Edgar, to be presented at the

breakfast.

As his fellow alumni looked on, President Ayers and

Dean Narduzzi presented Ford with a new diploma

for his degree, the Associate in Applied

Studies.

With the grip of a man decades younger, the

91-year-old Ford grasped the hand of President Ayers in

heartfelt appreciation for the gesture.

And following the recognition breakfast and ceremony, Ford walked in his first

University of Richmond

Commencement ceremony, 35 years after his graduation

date.

With the Robins Center crowd in attendance,

Narduzzi recognized Ford among the alumni

participants, culminating the School’s yearlong

anniversary celebration.