Never Too Late: 81-Year-Old Tommy Lile Receives JU Degree

As Henry Thomas Lile accepted the diploma he'd waited more than six decades to earn, his mind was already on tomorrow's commitment to his students on the tennis courts. "I can't stay long," Lile shared with those gathered, explaining he needed to get back to Tennessee for lessons with his students. The 81-year-old resident of Cleveland, Tennessee returned to Jacksonville University during the 2025 Homecoming and Family weekend to receive his Bachelor of Science in History - 61 years after he first walked onto campus as a freshman.

Lile attended JU from 1964 to 1969 as a standout tennis player. He participated in a special mini-commencement at the 50th Reunion for the class of 1975 and Green & Gold Guard Induction Ceremony at the Frisch Welcome Center. The uplifting moment marked the culmination of an extraordinary journey - one that Lile says was driven by a simple philosophy: finish what you start.

"I'm semi-retired, so I don't need the degree, but I want it because I studied here, put a lot of money into it, and I spent five years living in Williams Hall," said Lile. "I had a lot of fun here and I hate to leave things undone. This was something I left undone and I'm sure a lot of people can relate, you just get too late in life and say 'I'll just let it go,' but I didn't want to let this go. I wanted this."

As the No. 1 player on Jacksonville University's tennis team, Lile compiled an impressive 126-35 singles record. He left the University to pursue what would become a distinguished 40-plus year career in tennis and, as a result, never completed his degree.

Recently, Lile applied for a position teaching elementary students and it required a degree, so he called Jacksonville University to find out how many courses he needed in order to complete his degree. The Registrar's Office conducted a thorough review of his transcript and made a remarkable discovery.

"Through careful examination, we identified an opportunity to apply current grade forgiveness and substitution policies," said Rob Berwick, AVP and Registrar at Jacksonville University. The result: Lile had actually earned enough credits and met the GPA requirement to graduate all along.

During the ceremony, Lile received his Green & Gold Guard medallion, awarded to those on the 50th anniversary of their graduation, and his history degree from University President Tim Cost '81.

"I think it says a lot about Jacksonville University, that you can go back into the early sixties and you can see the tenacity and determination of a guy like Tommy who kept at it," said Cost. "It meant a great deal to him to be a graduate of Jacksonville University and he made it happen. We couldn't be prouder."

It's a moment that reflects JU's core mission. "If you look at the goals of the faculty, of the registrar, of the advising staff, it's always to help students get where they want to go," said Cost.

Lile plans to continue his work as director of tennis for Court Concepts in Tennessee. For decades, he's blended his love for tennis and history - quizzing his young students in between drills about U.S. presidents and historical events. It's an element of his coaching style that will continue. Now, he'll have a framed diploma from Jacksonville University hanging in his office.

"I think everyone should get an education," said Lile. "Everyone should do it, and should do it faster than I did it."