This notion that people are washed up and finished by some arbitrary age, most notably 65, is a fairly modern one and is far from true. Historically, seniors in many societies continued to work, if able, and were revered for their wisdom. Whether in government, business, science, or the arts, we see plenty of examples of senior adults accomplishing great things late in life.

Presidents Who Served Past Normal Retirement Ages

At ages when many people are starting their retirements, several of America’s Presidents were in office and in their prime.  The first U.S. President, George Washington, became President at age 57 and served to age 65, but that was in a time when life expectancies were far shorter than today. Eleven U.S. Presidents began serving beyond their 60th birthday, including William H. Harrison, age 68 at his inauguration; Ronald Reagan, 69 when inaugurated; and Donald Trump, 70. Trump is the only U.S. President inaugurated past his 70th birthday.

The late former President George H.W. Bush could serve as a poster child for active senior adults who refuse to go quietly. He served as President from 1989 to 1993 from ages 64 to 68, but is perhaps best remembered for his zestful approach to old age long after he left the presidency. He celebrated his 80th, 85th, and 90th birthdays by parachuting from an airplane. How’s that for showing some fun-loving spunk in the face of old age?

The longest-living former U.S. President is Jimmy Carter, who is now 94.  He served from 1977 to 1981 at the relatively young ages of 52 to 56, but since leaving office Carter has worked tirelessly for numerous charitable and social justice causes. He and his wife Rosalynn, 91, spent years building homes for the poor for Habitat for Humanity and later worked to establish community-based health care systems in Latin America and Africa.  Carter has written more than 30 books, most of them since leaving office.

 Business Leaders Who Work Late in Life

It’s not uncommon to see self-employed business owners, doctors, lawyers, and others work late in life. Even though they are financially comfortable, they have no desire to stop working because of the sense of accomplishment it brings them. Here are some well-known business professionals who kept working at advanced ages:

• Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, did not turn over his positions as chairman and CEO of the company until he was 92, when his health began to fail.
• Dave Thomas, founder of the Wendy’s fast-food chain, continued appearing in the company’s TV commericals up until the year of his death in 2002 at age 69.
• Milton Hershey, who founded Hershey Chocolate Company, remained active in his company but also spent his “retirement years” as a community developer and philanthropist, founding the city of Hershey, Pennsylvania, plus a boarding school, a hospital, and other civic endeavors. He died at age 88.
• And let’s not forget Warren Buffet, who at age 88 is still running his highly successful investment firm, Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the world’s richest people, with a net worth of $84 billion. He is still sought after for public speaking and for his famous annual shareholder letters.

More employers are now waking up to the realization that older workers continue to offer a lot of value, due to their superior wisdom, experience, and work ethic. Age discrimination is still far too prevalent, but maybe one day employers will judge employees by the contributions they can continue to make to the organization and not by their date of birth.

Seniors Remain Active in Movies and Music

In Hollywood and in music, plenty of post-retirement-age seniors are still rocking. Mick Jagger, lead singer for the Rolling Stones, is 76. Betty White is 97 and has enjoyed several acting roles during her 90s. The list is a long one, including Clint Eastwood, 89, Carol Burnett, 86, and Wayne Newton and Harrison Ford, both 77.

Keep Pursuing Your Purpose and Dreams

Bottom line: Let’s not let age alone define us. Don’t let society, or our children, put us in a box as we hit certain milestones in life. Sooner or later, everyone’s health will fail and they will have to slow down, but if you are blessed with good health and still have dreams to pursue, then go for it. After all, age really is just a number. The best may be yet to come.

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