A 78-year-old forklift driver with a penchant for investing his savings has given almost $900,000 to higher education this decade.
Last month, Matel (Mat) Dawson, Jr., gave $200,000 to Wayne State University, adding to an endowed scholarship fund that he began in 1996 with a gift of $240,000.
“We’ve got to prepare this young generation for the future,” he said from his apartment near Detroit. “I choose education because that’s the only way we can get things done.”
Mr. Dawson, who earns $23.47 per hour at a Ford Motor Company plant, left school in Shreveport, La., after the eighth grade. Through the years, he saved his money and invested it in stocks, certificates of deposit, and real estate.
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