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. January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Literacy is the ability to read and write. ...

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. Marshall is a major city of the northeastern region of the U.S. state of Texas. ... Languages Predominantly American English Religions Predominantly Christianity and Islam Related ethnic groups Sub-Saharan Africans and other African groups, some with Native American groups. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ...

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. This article or section should be merged with Sawmill A saw mill is a machine used in forestry to cut trees into logs. ... Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Robert Nivelle Herbert Henry Asquith Sir Douglas Haig Sir John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow... For other uses, see X (disambiguation). ... Military service is service in an army or other military organisation, whether as a chosen job or as the result of an involuntary draft (in that case usually termed conscription). ...

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. For other uses, see Memphis (disambiguation). ... This article is about the type of dam. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Nickname: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City That Care Forgot, NOLA (acronym for New Orleans, LA) Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates: Country United States State Louisiana Parish Orleans Founded 1718  - Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Area    - City  350. ... Freighthopping or train hopping is the act of surreptitiously hitching a ride on a railroad freight car. ...

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. Nickname: Big D Location in the state of Texas Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856  - Mayor Laura Miller Area    - City  385. ... Bluffing is a form of Deception that involves a false show of confidence. ... Retirement is the point where a person stops employment. ...

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. A gardener Gardening is the art of growing plants with the goal of crafting a purposeful landscape. ... Door to Door is the sixth and final studio album by American new wave band The Cars, released in 1987. ... Libraries are a useful resource for adult learners. ... The GED, General Educational Development, or General Equivalence Degree Test, is a test that certifies the taker has attained American or Canadian high school-level academic skills. ...

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.

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. The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American nationally syndicated talk show, hosted and produced by Oprah Winfrey and is the highest-rated talk show in American television history. ... Guideposts is a monthly, small-format interfaith magazine focusing on inspirational, first-person stories. ...

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 on July 5, 2001. Posthumous means after death. ... The Carroll Independent School District (Carroll ISD) is an independent K4-12 school district serving the city of Southlake, Texas and portions of nearby Grapevine, Texas. ... Middle school (also known as intermediate school or junior high school) covers a period of education that straddles primary education and secondary education, serving as a bridge between the two. ... Southlake is a city located primarily in the northeastern part of Tarrant County, Texas. ... Official website: http://www. ... Mercedes may refer to: Things Mercedes-Benz, a German brand of automobiles and trucks Mercedes-Benz (song), by Janis Joplin Mercedes (calculator), an early 20th-century computing device Mercedes College, South Australia Places Mercedes, Buenos Aires, Argentina Mercedes, Paraná, Brazil Mercedes, Camarines Norte, Philippines Mercedes, Eastern Samar, Philippines Mercedes, Texas...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} George Dawson. "Never Too Late to Learn," Guideposts, June 2001.