George Dawson (author)
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George Dawson (January 18, 1898—July 5, 2001) co-wrote his life story in Life Is So Good with Richard Glaubman when he was 101. Dawson learned to read at the age of 98 as part of an adult literacy program.
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[edit] Early and mid-life
Dawson was born in Marshall, Texas in 1898 as the first of five children, a farmer's son, and grandson and great-grandson of African-American slaves. By his own account, Dawson worked with his father from age four to age 12, at which point his father found him work on a neighbor's farm, where he worked until age 16. He then returned home after his parents took in the nine children of his recently deceased aunt and uncle.
To support the large family, Dawson took a second job at a saw mill. This job kept him out of World War I after his employer convinced him to sign an X on a paper he could not read, which he later surmised must have made some claim that he was ineligible for military service.
When he turned 21, his father encouraged him to "see the world," which in his case meant traveling to Memphis, Tennessee where he built levees; to St. Louis, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to unload coconuts on the docks; riding the rails to various parts of the United States; farming in Mexico; and traveling to Canada out of a desire to see snow.
In 1928, after nine years of travel and work, Dawson decided to return home to Marshall to reunited with his loved ones, settle down and start a family of his own. He arrived to find his family had moved away, leaving no clue as to their new home. (He noted in an article telling his life story, "I wondered why they hadn’t let me know. Then again, how would they have found me? Even if they’d known where I was, I wouldn’t have been able to read their letter."[1])
There in Marshall, he met and married Elzenia, an attractive woman who could read and write. They moved to Dallas, where Dawson began to work for the city in road repair, and went on to have seven children, from whom he hid his illiteracy while bluffing his way through their homework questions. In 1938, he took a job with Oak Farms Dairy, where he worked until his mandatory retirement at age 65.
[edit] Later life
For 25 years after his retirement, Dawson continued to do some work gardening and doing yard work for neighbors. At age 90, he retired from paid work completely but continued to tend his own garden and to fish. About this time, a young man making door-to-door visits on behalf of a local adult basic education program came by his home and told him about classes for literacy and GED preparation at Lincoln Instructional Center nearby.
Dawson overcame his initial reluctance to reveal his illiteracy, telling himself, "All your life you’ve wanted to read. Maybe this is why you’re still around."[1] On first meeting instructor Carl Henry, a retired teacher, he learned that the oldest student to that time had been a woman in her fifties, with most students being even younger. Dawson applied himself to the task, learning to read and even going on to study for his GED at age 103.
[edit] Fame
His achievements have inspired many people. He appeared on Oprah and told his story in the June, 2001, issue of the inspirational magazine Guideposts.
Dawson was posthumously honored when the Carroll Independent School District named a middle school after him in Southlake, Tarrant County, Texas, where he was given a free red Mercedes that he enjoyed driving until a tragic accident ended his long life.
