Gordon graduates with his sixth Keele degree

The year was 1971; Edward Heath was Prime Minister, Sean Connery was still James Bond, and across the Atlantic a small coffee chain called Starbucks was founded in Seattle, Washington.  

Closer to home in North Staffordshire though, it was also the year that a young lad from West London took his first steps onto the Keele University campus to begin Lord Lindsay’s famous Foundation Year before completing his undergraduate degree in History and Law. 

Gordon Mousinho was not only the first in his family to go to university but also the first from his school, and this experience gave him a lifelong love of learning that has stayed with him ever since.  

So much so, that fast forward to 2025 and Gordon, now aged 71, has just graduated with his sixth degree from Keele – a PhD in Creative Writing. He graduated alongside hundreds of other students on Thursday 17th July 2025, just a day before his 71st birthday and 50 years since his first graduation from Keele.

Gordon, who now lives in Buckinghamshire, said that although there was little formal university guidance back then, his family had been very supportive of his coming to Keele. 

“I always say Keele chose me rather than the other way around,” he said.

Since he first set foot on the campus, Gordon says, Keele has grown exponentially, with a much more diverse and inclusive student community than the 1970s. 

But, he added, it retains much of the original charm that drew him there in the first place, adding that Keele has never been an “elitist” university. 

He said: “Standing at the roundabout looking down towards Chancellor’s building, everything looks very similar to how it did back then. The Chapel was there, the Tawney Building, and of course Chancellor’s Building. But if you stand there and look backwards up the hill, it’s completely different – there were only green fields as far as the eye could see – now it’s so much bigger.” 

In his first spell at Keele, Gordon completed four degrees – a BA, a Postgraduate Certificate of Education, an MA and a PhD. During his career in management consulting, Gordon never lost his love for learning and for Keele, and, after stopping full-time work, completed two more degrees there - another MA and another PhD.  

He added: “I’ve always enjoyed keeping myself physically fit, and to keep fit mentally, learning and education is the best thing you can do.” 

Gordon’ supervisor Professor Tim Lustig added: “Gordon was a fantastic student during his more recent MA and PhD studies, and his doctoral work enabled him to return from a new angle to a subject that has always fascinated him – the history of the United States.” 

The PhD also marked a “full circle” moment for Gordon. His PhD was assessed by external examiner and author Francis Spufford, whose parents actually used to work at Keele as academics and taught Gordon when he first arrived at the university.