Lyle Gittens, 108 and a Clark College graduate, said Clark taught him to open his mind to hearing and appreciating other perspectives. He said, “I was from New York, where I knew everything. But when I got to Clark, I found out that other people had opinions quite different from mine.” That was a gift that he also credits with helping him be a good manager. Similarly, Eleanor Rogers Gittens, 107, and a graduate of Clark University, said the institution taught her two, equally important lessons. “I learned I could be a leader and that I could be a follower—and that both are strengths.” They agree Clark was pivotal in their lives, but perhaps the best gift they received from Clark College was each other. Now married 83 years, the Gittenses recently made the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest (aggregate age) living married couple and the oldest (aggregate age) married couple ever. The couple met in 1939, began dating in 1941, and married in 1942 while Lyle Gittens, who was being sent to Italy to fight in World War II, was on a three-day leave. When asked exactly how they met, Mr. Gittens, a star basketball player in his day and now a member of the Clark Atlanta University Men’s Hall of Fame, chuckled. He recalls Clark being a small school where most of the members of the student body of less than 500 knew one another. Dr. Eleanor Gittens, offering more detail, said, Mr. Gittens says their marriage is built on a firm foundation of friendship, emphasizing that how you feel about your spouse is key. “We like each other more and more each day.” He explained that marriage takes work, adding, “Especially in the beginning, both parties come with baggage that might upset you. But you have to learn to live with it.” Dr. Gittens, though reluctant to give marriage advice, echoes her husband’s sentiments about having a We met each other at dances and other events the college and other organizations gave—and we learned each other.
relationship grounded in friendship being important. “You have to like your partner. If that doesn’t happen, nothing else will. We like to do things together. Liking each other has made all the difference, maybe even more than loving each other.” Dr. Gittens had a career in education, and she earned a doctoral degree in urban education at the age of 69. The parents of three children, the first of which was born while Mr. Gittens was on his tour of duty in Italy, the Gittenses worked together in government in later years. They raised their family in New York City. The couple currently lives in Miami, with their daughter Angela and another relative as their caretakers.
“
Fall 2025
23
Powered by FlippingBook