In 1948, Alfred Sellers was 24 years old, a returned veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, and a handful of credits shy of completing an interrupted pre-med degree at Temple University when he was accepted to start immediately at Duke Medical School.

He went on to graduate first in his class and begin what would be a nearly 60-year career as a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, retiring four years ago at the age of 84.

It always nagged at him a bit, filling out forms for the many professional organizations he would join over the years, that in the space for undergraduate degree, he had to write Incomplete.

As of June 1, though, that gap in his resume no longer exists.

In a special ceremony at his apartment at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne that afternoon, the longtime Penn Valley resident donned a cap and gown to receive a diploma presented by Dean Teresa Soufas of Temples College of Liberal Arts herself. Vice Dean Jayne Drake, also in full academic regalia, joined her to make Dr. Alfred Sellers Temples newest recipient of a bachelor of science degree in chemistry.

To be a full-fledged Owl delighted Sellers, who told his guests, My days at Temple were happy days.

It is Temples absolute honor to count you among our graduates and alums, said Soufas, as Sellerss two sons, Joseph and David, looked proudly on.

One of the things the dean and I do at every [graduation] ceremony is tell Temple stories: stories about the persistence of students, what theyve gone through to get their degrees, Drake remarked. Part of the legacy of Temple is persistence; the idea that youve done something worth doing and have done it through persistence.

It is hard to imagine a better example than Sellerss unique journey.

VIDEOPLAYSBELOW Continued...

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Persistence pays off, World War II vet gets his diploma