He graduated from college at age 79. A campus tragedy inspired him to enroll

Linwood Riddick went to Vietnam to serve in the military, at an age when many people choose to go to college. Instead, he pursued his college diploma when many are busy enjoying retirement.

On Friday, Riddick graduated from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., two days before his 80th birthday, the school said in a news release. He came out of retirement to get his college education.

After his military service, the Vietnam War veteran opened his own business selling souvenirs for three decades, and retired at age 72. But soon after, he overheard a conversation while passing through SC State that inspired him to enroll at the college.

“I heard some men talk about the Orangeburg Massacre,” he told Sam Watson, SC State’s director of university relations, who wrote a post about Riddick’s achievement. The Orangeburg Massacre is a 1968 event when police shot into a crowd of SC State students who were protesting segregation, injuring more than two dozen of them and killing three. All nine officers involved were acquitted, according to The Civil Rights Trail website.

Riddick said it was only after learning about that history that he decided, “I’m going to have to come here, put my name on this institutional wall because of the sacrifice of these three men.”

At Friday’s commencement, Riddick was honored even before crossing the stage. SC State President Alexander Conyers briefly paused the ceremony to recognize him in the back row of the school’s concert choir, with which he’s performed for years.

“Mr. Riddick, you inspire us all,” Conyers said, also noting that the 79-year-old drove an hour every day from his home in Summerville, S.C., to Orangeburg to attend classes.

Later, the crowd gave Riddick a rousing ovation as he accepted his diploma. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music industry.

Riddick said college helped him stay sharp. “Your mind, your body, your soul and spirit — they must be utilized,” he told Watson. Now, he said, he hopes to be an inspiration for others, and a mentor for younger students.

“If I can do it, you can do it,” he said. “It’s not impossible if you try.”