Professor Leaves $3.65M to Honor Teacher Mom in Michigan

A small-town boy who loved tinkering with chemistry sets just changed the future for thousands of students in Escanaba, Michigan.

Dr. David Millard Locke, who died in March 2025, left $3.65 million to Escanaba Area Public Schools to create scholarships honoring his mother, Catherine Locke Livermore. She was a teacher and elementary principal who dedicated nearly 40 years to educating kids in the same district.

The gift gets even more remarkable when you know the backstory. Catherine raised David as a single mother starting in 1930, earning about $1,200 per year as a teacher. She began teaching around 1926 and worked her way up to elementary principal by 1945, a role she held until retiring in 1963.

David graduated from Escanaba High School in 1947 with a scholarship of his own. His senior profile mentioned he "likes to tinker with his chemistry set" and hoped to become a research chemist. He made that dream come true, becoming a distinguished professor at the University of Chicago and University of Florida, mentoring future scientists throughout his career.

His gift nearly didn't happen. A handwritten will outlining his wishes was discovered by chance on a stack of papers after his death. The chess-playing neighbor Locke had chosen as executor had no idea the estate was so valuable.

The Ripple Effect

The scholarships will go to well-rounded graduating seniors pursuing careers in education, keeping Catherine's legacy alive. Escanaba already runs one of the largest public school scholarship programs in the country, with $9 million under management and over $600,000 awarded annually.

This donation pushes that total even higher. "His gift will benefit Escanaba graduates for generations to come," said Escanaba High School Principal Andy Doutree.

Superintendent Coby Fletcher called it simply amazing. A boy raised by a single mother making modest wages grew up to donate half his estate back to the community that shaped him. "What an amazing story!"

The scholarships will be awarded during the district's annual Honors Assembly, giving future teachers the same kind of support that once helped a curious kid with a chemistry set reach his full potential.