At 106, Fred Butler finally gets his high school diploma

A lifetime of waiting

Fred Butler was married for 65 years, raised five children, served in the Army in two theaters of World War II, and worked for years for the Beverly, Massachusetts water department. But the fact that he never earned a high school diploma always bothered him.

Not anymore. The 106-year-old — Beverly's oldest resident — was awarded his honorary diploma Monday in an emotional ceremony in the Beverly High School library, attended by school officials, state lawmakers, and Mayor Bill Scanlon, who declared it Fred Butler Day.

"I thank everybody who is responsible for this," Butler said, wearing a mortarboard and tassel and holding the prized document. "I certainly appreciate it."

Leaving school at 14

Butler left school after the eighth grade to work full-time in a print shop, helping his mother support the family. His first reaction when told he was being given an honorary diploma? "I didn't earn it," he said.

His family thought otherwise. Daughter-in-law Cathy Butler launched the effort to get him his diploma as a way to lift his spirits after the death of his wife, Ruth, last year. She said he always regretted dropping out — and preached the importance of education to his children and grandchildren: all of his children graduated from Beverly High School, and grandson Mike Calabro recalled that Butler paid him $5 for every A on his report card.

"He's a kind and gentle soul," his niece Helen said. "He took care of his siblings and helped his mom as a young man. He's always been there for everyone in the family."

Scanlon answered Butler's one concern directly: "It's a long time to wait for your diploma, but you've obviously earned it very well."

Archive brief, March 2013, based on reporting by the Associated Press and NPR.