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The University of Sussex

 10 July 2001 

Septuagenarian Ken gets BA in French

Ken Goodwin will be the oldest graduate at the University of Sussex summer graduation ceremonies on 17 July.

The 70-year-old retired PR manager for BT in Coventry took a four-year degree course, which involved him spending a year at a university in the South of France.

Orphaned at the age of 12, Ken left school at 15 and originally trained as an electrician. He learned French while in the Royal Navy doing National Service and lived in France for three years when he retired in 1984.

"I wanted to take a degree because I felt I wanted to learn a bit more," says Ken, who lives in Powis Grove, Brighton, with his wife, Janet. "I found the written work quite hard going, but the young people on my course were great. Young people know what life is about and they work hard and play hard. They got me out socialising with them and I'd sometimes roll home after midnight."

He's well and truly bitten by the learning experience and will be taking an MA in early modern history at Sussex this coming academic year.




 Notes for editors 

For further information, please contact Jacqui Bealing or Alison Field, University of Sussex, Tel. 01273 678888, Fax 01273 877456, email J.A.Bealing@sussex.ac.uk or A.Field@sussex.ac.uk




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