92-Year-Old Aggie Graduates After 71 Years

Dr. Joe H. Knowles '50 graduated today, more than 70 years after first attending Texas A&M University. 

Knowles, a Bryan native, enrolled at the University of Texas after he graduated high school in 1946. He attended a summer and fall semester there, before transferring into Texas A&M in the spring semester of 1947 to pursue a biology degree. However, just one class short of earning his undergraduate degree, he was accepted into medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch in the fall of 1949.

"To the best of my knowledge, myself and one other student were the only two who entered UTMB without an undergraduate degree," he said.  

While at Texas A&M, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and U.S. Air Force ROTC.

Knowles went on to graduate from UTMB in 1953 and served three years as a physician in the U.S. Air Force. Afterward, he practiced in Borger, Texas, for over 30 years. 

Before retiring from medicine, Knowles and his wife, Sue, began a cattle ranching business that they continued in New Mexico for many years after his retirement. They moved back to Bryan in 2017 to be closer to Knowles' mother and his daughter, Susan '02.

Knowles and his neighbor and friend, Sharon Clements '86

It was there that Knowles and his wife struck up a friendship with their neighbor, Sharon Clements '86. Earlier this year, Clements discovered that Knowles had never received his degree from Texas A&M.

"Knowing how much he loves Texas A&M University and what it means to have a diploma from A&M myself, I left that day determined to find out if it was possible for him," Clements said. 

With her help, Knowles was able to determine his graduation eligibility, transfer his UTMB credits to Texas A&M and apply for August graduation.

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