Dale Schroeder, a lifelong carpenter in Des Moines, Iowa, died in 2005 leaving almost $3 million in savings that he earmarked for future students.
Schroeder’s frugal lifestyle—owning only a rusted Chevrolet and two pairs of jeans—allowed him to accumulate the money over 67 years of work at the same construction firm. When he spoke with his friend and lawyer Steve Nielsen, he revealed his intention: to give back to small‑town Iowa youth who, like him, lacked the means to attend college.
The scholarship fund ultimately covered the tuition of 33 students, the first of whom was Kira Conard, a single‑parent daughter who had been on the brink of abandoning her college ambitions. Conard, who grew up with three older sisters, said the call that informed her of the scholarship was a moment of disbelief and relief.
Fourteen years after Schroeder's death, the 33 beneficiaries—now doctors, teachers, and therapists—gathered as “Dale’s Kids” in 2019 to honor his legacy. The fund closed after the last graduate, marking the end of the financial program but the beginning of a tradition of paying it forward.