NEW YORK May 5, 2006Gary Edward Hughes, a 65-year-old successful businessman, is the oldest graduating student in New York University’s undergraduate Class of 2006.
Hughes is receiving his B.A. in Social Sciences from The NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Paul McGhee Division. For over 40 years, NYU’s McGhee Division has offered Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs on part-time, evening and weekend schedules to accommodate working adults.
A former Marine and 44-year veteran of the intimate apparel business, Hughes is the owner and president of two companies, GH Lace, Inc. and Laces International. In February, he received the Underfashion Club’s 2006 Lifetime Achievement “Femmy” Award, his industry’s highest honor.
As Hughes explains, he first began his undergraduate career in the early 1970s.
“I went to FIT at night and graduated in 1971 with an Associate’s degree. I then enrolled in NYU to complete my BA, but my busy career and family schedule made it impossible to continue at that time. “Over 20 years later in 1999, I decided that, since I was now the president of my own company, I could free up my schedule enough to return to school. NYU’s McGhee program was the logical choice since I already had NYU experience.”
With a Bachelor’s degree under his belt, this busy husband, father and grandfather has set his sights set on another degree and possible career change.
“The degree, for me, was personal,” says Hughes. “At this stage of my life, it surely was not a strategic business decision. My main goal was to receive my BA so that I could apply for a Master’s in History, which is my real love. I will probably go on to do some teaching.”
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies (www.scps.nyu.edu) is among the 14 colleges and schools that comprise New York University, one of the largest private universities in the United States. Founded in 1934, NYU SCPS each year educates some 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students and enrolls over 40,000 in its non-credit programs. A national leader in adult and professionally oriented education, NYU SCPS programs include non-credit courses that span more than 125 fields, 14 industry-focused Master’s degree programs, and nine Bachelor’s and six Associate degree programs specially designed for working adults. As well, NYU SCPS is home to NYU Online, the University’s first online undergraduate program.