Published: Jun 20, 2005 HOUSTON (AP) - A retired public school teacher who was so frugal that he bought expired meat and secondhand clothing left $2.1 million for his alma mater, Prairie View A&M - the school's largest gift from a single donor.
Posted on 06/20/2005 9:43:05 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
Frugal Public School Teacher Donates $2.1 Million to Alma Mater
Published: Jun 20, 2005 HOUSTON (AP) - A retired public school teacher who was so frugal that he bought expired meat and secondhand clothing left $2.1 million for his alma mater, Prairie View A&M - the school's largest gift from a single donor.
Whitlowe R. Green, 88, died of cancer in 2002. He retired in 1983 from the Houston Independent School District, where he was making $28,000 a year as an economics teacher.
His donation shocked family members and friends alike.
"He was a very meager person. I didn't think he had a million," said Beatrice Green, a cousin by marriage. "He'd buy the cheapest things."
Sharon Green Mitchell, another cousin, said Green and her father stopped talking for a couple of years when Green denied owing her dad $6.76. On road trips, Green would equally divide the gas bill among the adults.
"Now it's funny, but years ago you would sometimes get annoyed," Mitchell said.
Green's frugality was matched by his belief in education and dedication to young people, she said.
He often talked about leaving money to Prairie View, a historically black university. Green graduated in 1936.
"He sacrificed for this. He would always tell us to make your money work for you, and he did," Mitchell said. "I remember him saying, 'I'm going to help black children get an education.' He did it."
Green's donation will be used to establish a scholarship fund.
AP-ES-06-20-05 1217EDT
FYI
I'm VERY SURE it shocked friends and family members.
"He sacrificed for this. He would always tell us to make your money work for you, and he did," Mitchell said. "I remember him saying, 'I'm going to help black children get an education.' He did it."
Nice when people do what they say and have conviction. Good for him. Glad his family is only surprised and not bitter or upset.
Cool. Someone needs to send this to Dave Ramsey.
I took a couple of summer school classes at Prarie View many years ago. (I'm white, for whatever difference that makes.)
It's a really good basic school, at least at the time. I don't know how it is doing now. I suspect OK.
Bless him. [It's not so hard to save a million dollars if a) you never have your own children to spend money on and b) you're a tightwad.]
Good for him, but what a waste to give it to a public school system.
Uncalled for snide remark.
Why would it bother you in the least that he gave a donation to, Prairie View A&M, his alma mater?
Are you confusing the donation with the fact that he was a public school teacher?
What is so snide about "Good for him, but what a waste to give it to a public school system."???
There are worse place to donate money, but much, much better places as well.
I kind of pity him actually, a little mentally unbalanced perhaps to have lived on the edge of poverty when he had the means to live a decent life, especially toward the end of it. On the other hand there are way too many who live beyond their means and in the end it was his choice.
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