21-05-2025
Garfield man becomes Rutgers' oldest graduate ever
GARFIELD, N.J. (PIX11) — You'd think earning three degrees would be enough for Tom Maniscalco. But this one -his fourth- was special.
'[It is] something that I started in 1957 when my father sent me to Rutgers,' said Maniscalco, 85.
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A brilliant student who graduated from Garfield High School, Maniscalco became a Rutgers Scarlet Knight at the wish of his father. But while studying in New Brunswick, he struggled to adjust.
'I was not accustomed to living by myself, living away from home,' said Maniscalco.
The Dean called him in. He had flunked out.
'I had emotional problems,' said Maniscalco. 'I always had the feeling that I understood, I just couldn't concentrate.'
But that was the start of his comeback. He was accepted to NYU, where he enrolled in night classes while working as an engineering technician. A bachelor's from NYU turned into a master's and a doctorate from NJIT. It all led to an illustrious 3-decade career for the Department of Defense, where he worked on projects like navigation guidance systems for the space shuttle.
'I always had a goal,' he said. 'Why I kept going was my interest in mathematics.'
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But one goal still remained: getting the Rutgers degree his dad always wanted. He enrolled -again- in 2019, when he retired. On Friday, he walked across the stage with his second Master's in Engineering. He is the oldest graduate in Rutgers history.
As he reflects on his accomplishment, he says a Frank Sinatra song comes to mind:
'I always think of Frank Sinatra's song, 'All My Tomorrows,'' he said.
Even at 85, Tom -as Sinatra would put it- has got lots of plans for tomorrow.
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