Robert: Man denied high school diploma finally graduates 60 years later

A 78 year old man in California can now say he is a high school graduate.

Ted Sams says he was supposed to receive his high school diploma back in 1962, but ended up getting suspended for five days and ultimately missed one of his final exams. He attended summer school to make up the missing grade, but was later informed he would not be issued a diploma due to $4.80 fee for failure to return a text book.

“Over the years, I complained to my kids a number of times about how $4.80 kept me from having my diploma,” Sams remarks.

At San Gabriel High School’s 2022 graduation, the school invited Sams to attend and finally accept his diploma.

At the ceremony, Sams was presented with his Class of ’62 diploma, which had spent the last 6 decades locked inside a filing cabinet at the school.