Love letter delivered 53 years late

A post-marked letter mailed on February 20, 1958 delivered to the mailroom at the California University of Pennsylvania on July 8, 2011. The letter was being mailed to student Clark C. Moore who lived inside Jonson Hall on campus during his studies in the late 50's.

PITTSBURGH (Reuters Life!) - A love letter written to a U.S. college student in the state of Pennsylvania and delivered 53 years late will be mailed to its intended recipient who is now an elderly man.

A spokeswoman for the California University of Pennsylvania said the letter, addressed to Mr. Clark C. Moore and postmarked February 20, 1958, arrived mysteriously in the mail room last week.

On Thursday, university officials located Moore, now 74. He had changed his name to Muhammad Siddeeq and was living in Indianapolis. A friend saw a news report about the letter and contacted him, said university spokeswoman Christine Kindl.

"We are sending him the letter along with a 'Cal U for Life' T-shirt. He said if he didn't get that package within the next 53 years, he would call to complain."

Siddeeq was not immediately available to comment.

The letter had been sent when he was enrolled as a junior at the university, then known as California State Teachers College. It included a return address, but little other information about the sender, who signed the letter, "Love Forever, Vonnie."

Siddeeq, a retired teacher, told the university he and Vonnie had married and had four children together before parting ways.

Kindl said she spoke briefly with Vonnie, who was upset because she and Siddeeq were no longer in touch.

"Our intention in this whole thing has only been to identify the alumnus to complete the delivery of this letter after 53 years," Kindl said.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Jerry Norton)