AMERICA | A 99-year-old woman who missed university graduation 70 years ago due to public service finally returns to celebrate her achievement.
Elizabeth Barker Johnson, a 99-year-old woman, has finally celebrated her graduation from Winston-Salem State University in the United States—an achievement she missed 70 years ago due to her dedication to public service.
Elizabeth, a military veteran, was awarded an honorary degree in special education, 70 years after earning her original degree.
During World War II, she served as a Private First Class in the United States Army, and was a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion—the only all-female, all-African American regiment to serve overseas during the war.
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She was stationed in Kentucky, England, and France, where she drove trucks and worked in military post offices. After the war, Elizabeth became the first woman to enroll at Winston-Salem State University using the GI Bill, which provided benefits for returning World War II veterans.
She graduated in August 1949 with a degree in education. However, due to her teaching job, she was unable to attend the ceremony and received her diploma by mail. For over 30 years, Elizabeth taught in public schools across Virginia and North Carolina.
In 2020, she was invited to finally walk across the stage at the university’s graduation ceremony—an event made even more special as it coincided with her 99th birthday the week before.
“I was excited. I can’t explain how excited I really was. I’m just so excited about everything that’s happening. I can’t really believe it’s happening,” she said.
Elizabeth explained that her decision to become a teacher after the war was driven by a desire to help people and give back to her community. “I felt that by teaching, I could reach more people who would listen to me than if I chose a job working with adults,” she said.
“I wanted to do something more than what I saw most people around me doing. I wanted to help others, and teaching felt like the best way to do that,” she added
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