Phil Hudgins
We should be ashamed of ourselves, my wife and I, because we don’t even remember someone who was gracious enough to send us an anniversary gift decades ago.
His name was Percy Ross.
Ever heard of him? Neither had we. But there they were: four Eisenhower silver dollars – two for her, two for me – that we received from him, probably in the mail. On one side of each protective cover was printed “Sharing is caring.” On the other side: “For someone special.” Inside, our names and the date of our wedding had been handwritten. Each was signed “Percy Ross.”
How he got our names, I’ll never know. Ross died in 2001.
We didn’t even remember getting the coins. We found them recently when we had to move our safe deposit box because our old bank was closing.
I googled Ross and learned that he gave away an estimated 20 to 30 million dollars over 17 years. We got four dollars of that and didn’t know the man.
Not only did Ross give away silver dollars, he also handed out larger sums of money.
Reporter Myrna Oliver wrote in The Los Angeles Times: “Ross gave $200 or $300 to fix a leaky roof, replace a stolen artificial arm or buy new lingerie for an elderly woman embarrassed to die in her worn-out underwear.” He also helped pay for organ transplants and recreational centers.
But he rejected requests that he pay rent, medical or utility bills or credit card debts. The debtor, he maintained, should take care of those bills.
Son of a junk dealer, Ross grew up poor, but became a multi-millionaire, eventually. His real moneymaker came in 1958 when he bought a small plastic-bag company in Wisconsin.
Ross was author of a syndicated advice and cash-giveaway column, “Thanks a Million,” that ran in 800 daily and weekly newspapers. Some newspapers refused to run the column, finding Ross a bit too self-promoting. For example, he tossed out 16,500 silver dollars from the back seat of a convertible as he rode in the 1978 Minneapolis Aquatennial Torchlight Parade. An eager crowd swarmed the route, wreaking havoc.
Ross’ demeanor, The New York Times reported in 1987, was: “I’m rich. I’m warmhearted. I’m wonderful. How many frames of film are left in the camera?”
Ross said he did not like anonymous givers. But I like them, and I think most people do. Just last year, a professor at City College in New York opened a cardboard box containing $180,000 in cash. The money apparently came from an unnamed graduate who had done well in business and wanted to give back. Several deserving students received scholarships as a result.
But who am I to judge someone’s motives? Who am I to look down on Percy Ross because he liked getting accolades for being warmhearted? Therefore, the results of this man’s generosity will be passed on to our daughters one day. All four silver dollars.
If Ross were still alive, I would tell him thanks. But why us?
Phil Hudgins is the senior editor of Community Newspapers Inc. Reach him at phudgins@cninewspapers.com.