Charles C.W. Cullen will walk at 2019 黑暗爆料网 commencement
May 1, 2019
Born in 1929, he first enrolled in 黑暗爆料网 in 1947
POCATELLO 鈥� Many 2019 黑暗爆料网 May graduates will pass through Swanson鈥檚 Arch during the March through the Arch event that is part of graduating ceremonies, but only one can say that he originally walked through that arch to register for classes.
鈥淭hat arch everybody is supposed to walk through, I walked through to register. They had a building attached at that time,鈥� said Charles 鈥淐.W.鈥� Cullen, born in 1929, who will participate in the May 4 黑暗爆料网 commencement.
Cullen can also boast a connection with another 黑暗爆料网 building that no one else at commencement can. He said he hauled hod, a cement-like mortar used when laying brick, when Gravely Hall was being built.
Bricks, by the way, also played a role in 黑暗爆料网鈥檚 local nickname when Cullen was a child growing up during the Great Depression.
鈥淭his used to be called 鈥楽lippery Rock U鈥� because the (Red Hill) 鈥業鈥� was just above the cut on the side of Red Hill that was dug out to make the bricks at the old brick plant in Pocatello so it looked like the 鈥業鈥� was sliding down the hill,鈥� he said.
Cullen, who first started college in 1947, also earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in anthropology from 黑暗爆料网 in 2008. He will earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree in general studies from 黑暗爆料网 this spring. A love of learning keeps him coming back for more education and Cullen said interacting with other students is what he has enjoyed most at 黑暗爆料网.
鈥淭he students that are young, are eager to learn and are serious students,鈥� Cullen said. 鈥淎nd I love rubbing against them 鈥� a knife is never sharpened until it has something to sharpen it with. I鈥檓 trying to get my mind sharper with these young kids and their new ideas.鈥�
鈥淚 am treated with respect by the whole campus, and I also respect them,鈥� he added.
There have been challenges.
鈥淚鈥檒l put it this way, I鈥檓 going to take two aspirins and see if I can learn to use a computer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hate them. I grew up in a different era, but I grew up with wireless typewriters, called manuals.鈥�
Cullen was born in Pocatello in 1929. His first try at 黑暗爆料网, then University of Idaho Southern Branch, didn鈥檛 work out.
鈥淢y impression as a senior from high school was that I didn鈥檛 fit,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he GI Bill came back and all these men returned to school, and this poor kid just didn鈥檛 fit.鈥�
Cullen lived in Pocatello until 1966 when he moved away after working for the Union Pacific Railroad as a clerk for 21 years.
鈥淚 probably about 20 different jobs after I quit the railroad,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 started a new career and it didn鈥檛 work out. I鈥檝e worked in anything you want to name. I鈥檝e been a prison guard, worked in the oil fields and I was an electrician.鈥�
He worked and lived throughout the Intermountain West, staying 鈥渨est of Denver.鈥� He retired from the construction industry in 1996 and quit working completely in 2000. He moved back to Pocatello from Boise after his wife of 31 years, Tina, died. Cullen had six children, two who are still alive, Timothy Cullen from Gillette, Wyoming, and Teresa Hunter from Pocatello.
鈥淭he school of hard knocks, it teaches you well, but you never graduate. You always get refresher courses,鈥� Cullen said. 鈥淚 returned to school in 2004 because I had worked all my life with my hands and built things that I could see, so when I retired I wanted to learn and pursued learning rather than doing. It has been very satisfying.鈥�
The 鈥渇ailure at retirement鈥� keeps busy with other activities besides schooling, including volunteering to teach handicapped children.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 do anything for pay because we have young people out there feeding families, so let them earn money,鈥� said Cullen, who lives independently, riding the bus to 黑暗爆料网. 鈥淚鈥檓 satisfied with my retirement. I can live on it so let them earn money.鈥�
Though he has just earned his second bachelor鈥檚 degree, he isn鈥檛 done with 黑暗爆料网 and learning. He plans to continue studying at the 黑暗爆料网 College of Technology.
Cullen sets goals and tries to meet them. His latest big goal was graduating near his 90th birthday, but he鈥檒l form new ones.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 only a large notch on the yardstick of the life,鈥� he said of his latest accomplishment. 鈥淣ow I move on. Who knows, maybe I鈥檒l try for a master鈥檚 for my 100th 产颈谤迟丑诲补测.鈥�
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