While Carlow University has admitted men since the end of World War II, the school, founded as a women's college, continues to consider part of its mission to be "women-centered" and still largely attracts women.

That makes it all the more unusual that two of the 28 men graduating today are father and son, believed to be the first graduating the same day from Carlow.

The dad, Elmore Lockley, 54, of Mt. Lebanon, is the only man among 25 students graduating with master's degrees in professional counseling.

The son, David Lockley, 22, of Mt. Lebanon, is the only man among 19 students graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology. The younger Mr. Lockley plans to continue at Carlow to earn the same master's his dad has.

In all, 344 students -- 316 women and 28 men -- have earned bachelor's or master's degrees to be presented in ceremonies at Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial in Oakland.

The father's the one who got the ball rolling.

The elder Mr. Lockley, who is manager of media relations for Dominion Peoples, is a youth director and family minister at Mount Zion Baptist Church in South Park. His wife, Brenda, is executive director of Melting Pot Ministries, and he helps in the ministry to at-risk children and their parents.

His goal is to be more effective in his youth work.

"I said to some of the professors, I need this information. I need it yesterday. Many of the issues that our young people were facing were very much some of the type of things that I was learning at Carlow."

When he eventually retires, he hopes to continue the youth work full time.

"I enjoy working with children. I just see a lot of potential, but they face so many issues and so many challenges. Hopefully, I have the knowledge to help them," he said.

Elmore Lockley was on the board of a social service agency now known as Wesley Spectrum with Robert Reed, chairman of the department of psychology and counseling at Carlow.

"When I started to look into various counseling programs, because I knew him, I called him up and said, 'What do you think of my going to Carlow?' He said, 'I think it will be a good fit.'"

Mr. Lockley started his studies in fall 2005, the same time as his son transferred to Carlow.

The younger Mr. Lockley, a 2004 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School, started at Hampton University in Virginia but came home after a semester and took a term at Community College of Allegheny County.

He visited Carlow in spring 2005 and found it to be a "friendly environment."

"I felt because it was a small school, I could get the attention I needed," he said.

Once there, he said, "I loved the courses that they offered, and I loved the teaching styles."

While each was often the only man or one of only a couple men in a class, neither felt uncomfortable.

"I didn't mind it," said David Lockley. "It was really OK because the material is what I was there for. ... I wanted to be respected as a psychology student rather than as one of the few guys at Carlow."

"The interesting thing is it wasn't the male-female or the predominantly female environment that was difficult to adjust to," said Elmore Lockley. "It was more so the age."

He's already had some experience in a female environment. His bachelor's degree in political science and communications is from James Madison University in Virginia, a women's college that turned coed and now is about 60 percent female.

"I come from a family with two older sisters who have very strong wills, strong opinions. My mother is very strong as well. I'm used to being associated with strong females," he said.

The father and son rarely saw each other on campus. Dad's classes were in the evening and most of his son's were in the day. But David Lockley continued to live at their Mt. Lebanon home, so occasionally he caught a ride.

As for graduation day, Mr. Lockley put the focus on his son. "My wife and I both have said this is his day. I am absolutely so proud of him."

In a separate interview, David said of his father, "I'm very proud of him."