The THES details a Shelia Wilyman who graduated this week from St.Andrews with a PhD [Homosexuality in Spanish literature] aged 78! Leaves me at 40 as amere stripling.

This guy was 15 years older!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3491394.stm

I've attended to a week-long PhD training school a few months ago. Being 32, I felt I was the most ancient one, among the very young PhD students. Thanks to this thread, I feel much better now

Good for him Ann. What a superb story of perseverance. If I'm alive at 93 it will be amazing. That said I'd rather have C.Chaplin as my role model regarding things to do in old age.

Hmm, anyone doing a PhD that old (78) won't be using the degree to build up a career for him/her self. So is this person taking away a PhD position from someone younger who might need it more ...?

'So is this person taking away a PhD position from someone younger who might need it more'.

I very much doubt either of these were funded positions.