chuckography

VERY Little Known Fact About Me...

OK, you're right. I never was on the cover of TIME magazine (nor any other national publication).

But, the picture of my 1968 college graduation is appropriate because it represents my best kept secret.

Recently Jared, one of my fellow bloggers, tagged me to do a meme listing " 7 things people did not know about you.".

As I thought about it, I remembered 1985 when the State of Florida routinely asked for "proof" that I was a college graduate - as stated on my resume - when I was appointed to the staff of the Florida Division of Tourism in Tallahassee.

I realized I had none. I had no framed diploma. No transcript. All I had was this doctored magazine cover and a picture of me on stage wearing cap and gown with the Bishop in San Diego, being handed something.

Then it all came back: I had been allowed to go up and receive a BLANK piece of paper with my class, on the condition that I attend summer school and earn the final 3 credits I needed. Which I did.

But that was 17 summers ago. I needed to call USD in California and get something in writing or I could be fired for falsifying my academic credentials. Missouri government had not asked for any documents. Wow.

The Registrar's Office was skeptical at best. "We get calls like this from people who had attended but never graduated," I was told. "Can't remember it ever being 17 years later though." Any names I remembered had died or retired.

Finally a sympathetic young priest said I sounded sincere and panicky so he agreed to search through hard copies of very old records stored in boxes in the basement and would call me back on Monday.

That was a LONG weekend.

He called and said he had found the missing document and my record was being updated to show I HAD graduated. He was sending a copy of my updated transcript and added "for $10 we'll send you that diploma you've been waiting for."

Bless you Father.

Labels: cap and gown, graduation, hippies, TIME magazine, USD

posted by chucker @ 10:05 AM