William “Don” Thomas, 80, tries on his cap and gown at his home in Saxonburg. He'll become the oldest graduate in Butler County Community College history later this month.

William “Don” Thomas of Saxonburg will make Butler County Community College history and accomplish a goal he set 60 years ago when he receives his history degree at commencement later this month.

The 80-year-old husband, father and grandfather will be the oldest graduate in BC3 history when he receives his associate degree at BC3's commencement May 16.

Before Thomas, the oldest graduate in the school's history was Audrey Wilson, who was 74 when she graduated in 2012.

“It was an unfinished goal,” Thomas said of earning his degree.

Thomas, a Wilkinsburg native, said he is happy to make BC3 history and even happier to finish something he started when he was stationed in France while serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1959.

“I had a dream and I never lost it,” Thomas said.

An airman second class with the 17th Squadron, Thomas accumulated 28 credits taking night courses such as modern European history, history of modern Europe and early U.S. history offered by the University of Maryland near Nancy in northeastern France.

He went on to earn four credits at Pennsylvania State University following his discharge, but said he wasn't happy with his grades. So Thomas decided to get a job and marry his high school sweetheart, Nancy Leukhardt.

After 57 years of marriage, six children, eight grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and a career in insurance and sales that landed him in Butler County, Thomas is about to realize his dream of receiving a college degree.

“I wanted the word degree after my name. I just wanted to finish what I started,” Thomas said. “The time spent at BC3 was not only enjoyable, it was done with my dream in sight. I tell the kids, 'don't lose the dream.'”

He chipped away at the associate degree, taking one or two classes a semester, for two and half years.

One of the challenges Thomas faced at BC3 was scheduling a French language class.

He learned Latin in high school and learned to speak French when he was stationed in France, but had to take a foreign language class to meet graduation requirements.

Most BC3 students took Spanish as their foreign language and no French classes were offered for some time.

“It took me two and a half years just to get into French class. After two and a half years I was finally able to get foreign language out of the way. The rest is history,” Thomas said.

After he makes history at commencement, Thomas will begin pursuing another dream.

“What I'm going to do now — pursue dream No. 2. A bachelor's degree is what I wanted to pursue. I will pursue it,” Thomas said.

Thomas is looking into taking online classes to obtain a degree in medieval history.

“Did Robin Hood really exist?” That is among the questions about European history he said he wants to try to answer.