Iowa Carpenter's $3 Million Legacy Sends 33 Kids to College
Dale Schroeder worked as a carpenter in Des Moines for 67 years. He never went to college, never married, and had no children. He drove an old rusty Chevrolet truck and owned just two pairs of jeans. When he died in 2005, his life savings of nearly $3 million did something remarkable: it paid for the college education of 33 Iowa students who otherwise could not afford it.
Fourteen years after his death, those 33 strangers gathered to honor the man they never met. They called themselves Dale's Kids, and they met around his old carpenter's lunch box to share how his quiet generosity changed their lives.
Who was Dale Schroeder?
Schroeder grew up poor in Iowa and spent his entire career at the same Des Moines business. His friend and lawyer, Steve Nielsen, described him as a blue-collar, lunch pail kind of guy who worked hard every day and lived frugally.
That simple lifestyle allowed Schroeder to build a fortune he never spent on himself. Instead, he decided to use it to give young Iowans the educational opportunity he never had.
He said, 'I never got the opportunity to go to college. So, I'd like to help kids go to college,' Nielsen recalled.
How did the scholarship work?
Before his death, Schroeder told Nielsen he wanted to help small-town Iowa students with the ability and desire to attend college but not the money. When Nielsen asked how much he had saved, Schroeder said it was just shy of $3 million.
Nielsen said he nearly fell out of his chair. The fund eventually supported 33 students through college without requiring them to take on debt.
One student's life changed forever
Kira Conard was one of those 33 students. She grew up in a single-parent household with three older sisters, and college seemed out of reach despite her good grades. She wanted to become a therapist but saw no realistic way to pay for it.
At her high school graduation party, Conard was preparing to tell friends she would not be going to college. Then the phone rang. Someone told her about Schroeder's scholarship.
I broke down into tears immediately, Conard said.
She later graduated and began her career as a therapist. For Conard, the gift was almost unbelievable.
For a man that would never meet me to give me basically a full ride to college, that's incredible. That doesn't happen, she said.
What happened to Dale's Kids?
The 33 recipients eventually came together as Dale's Kids. Many completed college and moved into careers in medicine, teaching, and therapy. Their gathering also marked the end of the scholarship fund. Conard was the last student to receive one of Schroeder's scholarships.
What was the only condition?
Schroeder asked for nothing in return, but there was one condition attached to his gift. Recipients could not pay him back, but they could honor his memory by paying it forward.
All we ask is that you pay it forward. You can't pay it back, because Dale is gone, but you can remember him and you can emulate him, Nielsen said.
Frequently asked questions about Dale Schroeder's scholarship
How much money did Dale Schroeder leave for scholarships?
Dale Schroeder left nearly $3 million in savings to fund college scholarships for Iowa students.
How many students received scholarships from Dale Schroeder?
Thirty-three students received full college scholarships from Schroeder's fund.
Why did Dale Schroeder create the scholarship?
Schroeder never had the opportunity to attend college himself and wanted to help small-town Iowa students who had the ability but not the money to go.