Oseola McCarty was only five feet tall and weighed less than 100 pounds. She left school in the 6th grade because her grandmother, who took care of her, became sick. “I would have gone back,” she said, “but my classmates had moved on, and I was too old. I wanted to be with them.” Instead, she worked. She washed clothes and saved money. “Every month, I saved the same amount and put it away. I was consistent.” She saved more than she ever needed. Then, in 1995, when she was in her late 80s, she gave $300,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi, the college in her hometown, to help pay for scholarships for poor students.
In her own words, “I wanted to share my wealth with the children,” said Miss McCarty. Her only real regret was that she never went back to school. “I never minded work, but I was always so busy. Maybe I can help make it easier for the children, so they don’t have to work as hard as I did.”