items of interest

with contributions from Judy Harrison, William Van Dusen Wishard, Mary Beth Grover, Jane Lampman

Oseola McCarty spent most of her life working as a washerwoman, but she achieved fame when she donated her life savings of $150,000 to fund a scholarship program at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Although she didn't ask for recognition for her good deed, she received many awards, including the Presidential Citizen's Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the US.

Her thoughts on gaining a sense of worth? "It seems pretty basic to me. If you want to feel proud of yourself, you've got to do things you can be proud of. Feelings follow action."

Reported by The New York Times
September 28, 1999

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

In the midst of an attack, a transformation