An American man who dropped out of college just short of graduation in 1932 has earned his degree at the age of 99.

KTVZ-TV in Bend reports that Leo Plass, of Redmond, received his diploma a few days ago from Eastern Oregon University in La Grande.

Mr Plass said he was less than one semester away from graduating from what was then called Eastern Oregon Normal School and starting a career as a teacher.

But Mr Plass said it was the Depression, and a teaching salary of 80 US dollars a month would not cut it. So when a friend offered him a spot in a logging outfit at 150 US dollars a month, Mr Plass says he could not pass it up.

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