Cindy Adams’ Grand HS Diploma Ceremony: A Star-Studded Evening of Celebration & Surprises

Cindy Adams’ Grand HS Diploma Ceremony: A Star-Studded Evening of Celebration & Surprises

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Cindy Adams, the renowned gossip columnist known for her decades-long career at The New YorkPost, celebrated a unique milestone at her 94th birthday party: receiving her high school diploma. According to a recently published report in The Post’s Page Six, in an event marked by both sentiment and triumph, the diploma was presented by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, making the occasion a notable intersection of state recognition and personal achievement.

Born and raised in New York City, Adams has often shared with friends and readers alike that despite her sharp wit and encyclopedic knowledge of the celebrity world, she never graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in Queens, as was reported by The Post. The reason, as whimsical as it sounds, was a failure in home economics—a class that required her to sew her own graduation dress. Adams’ journey through this academic hurdle was fraught with challenges. Destined for college at the tender age of 15, she faced an unexpected roadblock when the school insisted that graduation candidates produce their own white lawn dresses, a task at which Adams admittedly had no skill.

The situation escalated when, despite her mother hiring a professional to complete the dress, the school principal denied Adams her diploma on the grounds that she hadn’t personally made the dress. This denial not only prevented her graduation but also barred her from proceeding to college as planned. The Post reported that upon reflection of the incident, Adams once wrote, “I was set for college at 15. But Andrew Jackson High required females to make their own white lawn graduation dress in home etc. I can’t sew. After my mother paid a pro to finish it for me, the principal said: ‘She didn’t make her own dress, she can’t graduate.’ So: No diploma, college, graduating high school. I’m living proof that you can’t get anywhere without a college education.”

Despite this setback, Adams’ career was anything but hindered. She became an iconic figure in journalism, renowned for her insightful and often sharp-tongued gossip columns that entertained and informed New Yorkers for generations, as per the information in The Post report. Meanwhile, her high school eventually closed its doors in 1994, yet the story of her denied diploma lingered as a peculiar footnote in her storied life.

The effort to award Adams her diploma gained momentum thanks to the advocacy of some of her influential friends who worked behind the scenes for years. These efforts, however, were met with bureaucratic hesitance as officials insisted she take the General Educational Development (GED) test instead. The Post report indicated that it wasn’t until Governor Hochul stepped in that Adams was finally able to receive her diploma, officially making her a member of the class of 1946, albeit 78 years later.

This belated recognition is more than just a correction of a long-standing oversight; it is a testament to the resilience of a woman who, despite educational setbacks, rose to the top of her field and became a legend in her own right.

Surrounded by a who’s who of political, media, and entertainment figures, Adams celebrated not just her 94th birthday but also a long-awaited academic accolade. The report in the Post explained that in a touching tribute to her storied career and vibrant life, Adams was presented with a high school diploma, completing a chapter that began more than seven decades ago.

The diploma, awarded under her maiden name Cynthia Heller, was presented by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in a private and dignified ceremony at Adams’ apartment. As per the information contained in the Post report, the degree included not only the diploma itself but also a plaque featuring an image of her alma mater, Andrew Jackson High School, and a “Discharge Card” dated May 1, 1946, symbolizing her official completion of high school requirements. A source described the event to Page Six as “very classy,” highlighting the elegance and personal nature of the celebration.

The guest list for Adams’ birthday and diploma ceremony read like a roll call of New York’s elite. Revealed in The Post’s Page Six report was that among those in attendance were former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, and a spectrum of celebrities from various fields, including filmmaker Woody Allen, civil rights activist Al Sharpton, political commentator Kellyanne Conway, television host Bill O’Reilly, and CNN anchor Don Lemon. Each guest added a layer of prestige and recognition to the event, calling attention to Adams’ significant impact on both the media landscape and the broader cultural fabric of New York.

Adams, ever the epitome of humor and zest, told attendees about her age with her characteristic flair: “I’m size 8, 5-foot-4, 118 pounds, 34B bra size, and I was there when the Egyptians were putting up the pyramids,” the Post’s Page Six quoted Adams as saying. This quip not only lightened the mood but also reflected her timeless ability to engage and entertain an audience.

The celebration was further graced by the presence of soap opera legend Susan Lucci, Fox 5 New York’s Rosanna Scotto, and a host of other prominent figures including Matilda Cuomo, mother of Andrew Cuomo, economic commentator Larry Kudlow, billionaire businessman John Catsimatidis, former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, and New York Post Group Editor-in-Chief Keith Poole, according to the Post report.  Each toast and greeting conveyed a deep respect and admiration for Adams’ contributions to journalism and public life.