A Lifelong Learner

Dr. Joe Box has seen Rhode Island change quite a bit over the past nine decades.

The Providence College alum is a military vet, a World traveler and a practicing dentist. He exercises two hours a day.

"Forty minutes on the bike, and the rest of the time lower body, upper body, torso," said Dr. Box. "We'll get back into tae kwan do!"

And on Wednesday nights, you'll find the 92-year-old in a college lecture hall.

Curious about the Roman emperors and Hellenistic philosophers, Dr. Box told his family he wanted to return to Providence College and take "Perspectives on Western Civilization," soaking in the works of great thinkers from Socrates to Plato and Marcus Aurelius.

"I've been enjoying it very much," he said. "It's a lot of work."

"People like Dr. Box bring so much to the classroom, they really enrich the discussion, they bring such a unique perspective," said Dean Janet Castleman of the School of Continuing Education.

He offers a perspective from another generation, and serves as a role model for students decades his junior.

With albums full of memories and priceless experiences, Dr. Box plans to keep embracing life in the place he's called home for most of the last century.

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