Home / Education / Carpenter's $3M Gift Funds 33 Students' Futures
Carpenter's $3M Gift Funds 33 Students' Futures
2 Oct
Summary
- A carpenter saved nearly $3 million over 67 years.
- His savings funded college for 33 small-town students.
- Recipients called themselves 'Dale's Kids' and honored him.
Dale Schroeder, a dedicated carpenter from Des Moines, Iowa, quietly amassed nearly $3 million over his 67-year career at the same company. He lived a remarkably simple life, foregoing college, marriage, and children while maintaining a frugal lifestyle.
Upon his death in 2005, Schroeder's extensive savings were channeled into a scholarship fund designed to support students from small Iowa towns who aspired to attend college but lacked the financial means. This initiative successfully funded the higher education of 33 individuals.
Fourteen years after Schroeder's passing, the 33 students who benefited from his generosity reunited. They referred to themselves as 'Dale's Kids' and gathered to honor the man whose legacy had profoundly impacted their lives, even though most had never personally known him.
Schroeder's friend and lawyer, Steve Nielsen, recalled Schroeder's desire to help young people achieve the college education he himself never had. Schroeder's wish was for students to "pay it forward," ensuring his generosity continued to inspire future acts of kindness.
