Paul Little would have graduated from Dallas Center High School in Iowa in 1946, but he never got the chance

NEED TO KNOW

• Paul Little received his diploma from Dallas Center High School in Grimes, Iowa, more than 80 years after leaving school to help support his family
• Little later spent years farming and, with his late wife, became a longtime supporter of local students and schools, including donating $50,000 to his former school district
• School officials surprised Little at his nursing home on Sept. 17 and awarded him the diploma he never got the chance to receive

A 98-year-old Iowa man just received his high school diploma over 80 years after having to leave school to help support his family.

Paul Little attended Dallas Center High School in Grimes, a suburb of Des Moines, and was set to graduate in 1946 — but he dropped out during his junior year in order to work, according to  CBS 19.

Paul went on to farm for years in nearby Guthrie County, and despite never getting the chance to finish his education, he — alongside his late wife Eleanor — always made a point to support local students and education initiatives.

“For the last 15 to 18 years he’s given money out to help our kids get jump-started to the next stage in life,” Kasey Huebner, superintendent of the Panorama School District in Guthrie County, said while speaking to CBS 19.

Paul eventually moved into a nursing home in his hometown and donated $50,000 to Dallas Center High School — the place that would have been his alma mater.

The school district recently decided to honor Paul and his years of generosity with a surprise visit to his nursing home on Sept. 17, where he was awarded his high school diploma. 

“We’re excited to play just a little role in recognizing the awesomeness that is a guy like Paul in our community,” Scott Blum, superintendent of the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, told CBS 19.

In a statement to PEOPLE, the district added, “We were alerted to Paul’s story by the DCG Education Foundation. After moving back to Dallas Center, Paul connected with this group and offered financial support to our graduating seniors. Paul gave $50,000 to the DCG Education Foundation, and scholarships are now given out annually to our seniors.”

“Paul’s connection to our community spans nearly eight decades,” the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District continued. “He’s made a lasting impact on our students and their futures. Honoring Paul with an honorary diploma was our way of saying thank you. His legacy will be felt for generations at Dallas Center-Grimes.”

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Paul — whose funding has helped over 150 students graduate — said contributing to his community was never a hard decision.

“I think it’s very important. We need to support the kids in schools,” he told CBS 19.

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