Army surgeon Walter Reed, who contributed so much to the eradication of yellow fever, was scarcely out of his boy-hood when he obtained his medical degree from the University of Virginia.
Shortly after he had been enrolled as a student, two of his brothers made plans to attend the university. Their father could not afford three tuitions. There was only one way that Reed could see--he would have to finish school in less than the allotted time.He asked the dean to make an exception in his case, and to award him a degree if he could pass all the required examinations without taking the prescribed courses.
Unable to believe that anyone could absorb such a mountain of knowledge in so short a period of time, the dean agreed. Nine montths later, Reed took the exams, received top grades and was graduated third in the class, as a doctor. His age--17.