Behind Reynolds Coliseum, one student snapped a photo of his grandparents, who have been together for more than 55 years.

The photo was a recreation of one taken 55 years prior at the husband’s graduation from N.C. State.

The photo features Erv Thompson, an alumnus, and Sue Thompson, his wife, following his graduation 55 years ago.

“My grandparents took the original picture about 55 years ago, so the day before the picture was taken, my grandparents gave me a call and asked if I would be available to take this picture,” Thomas Edwards said. “They kind of explained they had taken the original picture a long while ago, and they wanted to recreate it.”

According to Edwards, the original picture was taken in an important moment in his grandfather’s life. 

“We know that it was the day that my granddad graduated from State,” Edwards said. “My grandmother went to Peace College and was a few years younger than my grandfather.” 

The couple attended the same high school, but at different times, according to Thomas Edwards. 

“Both of my grandparents went to Broughton high school, and my grandfather was a senior when my grandmother was in eighth grade,” Edwards said. “My grandmother knew of my granddad, but my granddad didn’t know of my grandmother.”

“My granddad was sick the semester that would have been his last at State, so he had to drop out of his courses to recover so it pushed him an extra semester,” Edwards said. “This extra semester is when he met my grandmother.”

Edwards said that, when taking the picture, he caught some encouraging reactions from students passing by.

“When we took the picture, it was near the entrance of Case,” Edwards said. “A bunch of students walked by and saw us taking the picture, and most of them smiled.”

Sarah Edwards said comparing the photos made her realize how much time had passed between them.

“I was talking to my grandmother the other day,” Sarah Edwards, freshman in human biology, said. “She was talking about how there was a holly bush or something right behind them in the first picture, which is a big tree now.” 

Both the Edwards siblings said they were happily surprised with the response the picture received on Wolfpack Students.

“I think it is really cool to see so many students actually care about the tradition at State that we have,” Thomas Edwards said. “And that so many people take interest in knowing that we have such an integrated past of how our ancestors and alumni are still very devoted to the university and are still giving back to the community.”

Sarah said it was funny that more people on campus might start recognizing her grandparents more often than they would her.

N.C. State is definitely a place that holds a lot of weight in the Edwards’ household, according to the Edwards siblings.

“Sarah and I are fourth generation legacies at N.C State,” Thomas Edwards said. “Our dad went to State and graduated with a business degree, and my great-grandparents also went to State,” Thomas Edwards said. “My great-grandfather was a geology teacher at State.”

When the siblings told their grandparents about the feedback the picture had received, the couple was surprised. 

“They were completely tickled by it,” Thomas Edwards said. “My grandma called me later that day and said that she didn’t know that post was going to go viral. She said ‘You didn’t tell me it was going to go on Facebook.’”