The Citizen Leader
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Rss
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Peter
  • Keynotes
  • Seminar & Tutorials
    • The Citizen Leader Seminar
    • The Engaging Leader Tutorials
    • Facilitation by Peter Alduino
  • Books
    • The Citizen Leader
    • The Engaging Leader
    • Praise and Reviews
  • Reading
    • Online Articles
    • Books and Stories on Leadership and Community
    • Leadership Reads to Inspire Your Personal Growth
    • Harvard Business Review – Essential Reading
    • Leaders in Their Own Words
  • Contact

Words to Inspire: Oseola McCarty

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Peter Alduino in Words to Inspire

If you want to feel proud of yourself, you’ve got to do things you can be proud of.

It’s heartwarming to know that good, selfless people still exist in our society. One such person was Oseola McCarty, who died at the age of 91. Her obituary in the New York Times stated that, in anticipation of her death, at age 87 in 1995, Miss McCarty donated $150,000 to a scholarship fund at the University of Southern Mississippi to help poor students. The truly amazing thing, however, was that she was far from a wealthy woman. In fact, she washed clothes for a living, and the $150,000 represented her entire life savings. The selflessness of her gift garnered her worldwide and national attention, and she received numerous awards, shook hands with President Bill Clinton, and was honored by the United Nations. Upon hearing of her donation, contributions began pouring into the scholarship find, eventually adding some $330,000 to the original gift of $150,000… Miss McCarty had this to say about her actions: “There’s a lot of talk about self-esteem these days. It seems pretty basic to me. If you want to feel proud of yourself, you’ve got to do things you can be proud of. Feelings follow actions.”

Source: Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette’s Portfolio Manager’s Weekly, 7/26/2000

Peter Alduino

"Peter Alduino has one of the deepest hearts and finest minds of anyone I’ve ever known. The Citizen Leader is destined to become a leadership classic."

—Steve Farber

Leadership Pioneer and Strategist,
Best-selling Author, The Radical Leap Re-Energized and Greater Than Yourself

Buy our books

Print Edition of
The Engaging Leader

Print and eBook Editions of The Citizen Leader

"The Citizen Leader would be wonderful reading for every college and high school student in America and why not their parents as well."

—Chip Conley

Best-selling Author, PEAK and Emotional Equations

"Everyone should take the time to read this book especially anyone that owns their own business or anyone in charge of other people."

—Dr. Heidi Hook

Founder, Auburn Naturopathic Medicine

Read the reviews

Copyright © 2013 by Bridge Group Communications, LLC.