U of Illinois professor hits 50 years, plans to keep going

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Roy Axford has been a professor at the University of Illinois for 50 years. And he has no plans to stop.

The 87-year-old Axford works in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering. He was honored Thursday.

Axford told The News-Gazette (http://bit.ly/1T3DvT7 ) that the tradition in his family is to work for a lifetime.

He continues to teach a full load of classes. And he has a growing list of students who say he helped shape their lives.

Scott Ramsey is one. He works at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and is one of about a dozen Axford students at the prestigious facility.

Ramsey says without Axford he would never have gotten the job.

Axford's wife, Anne, says her husband simply loves to teach.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com