Johnston was in pharmacy school and unsure if he was going to be able to finish. He had taken a year off to work and build up funds to continue when a family friend gave him $200. In 1949 that was quite a chunk of change. She told Johnston to finish his schooling and “pay it back for someone else” down the road.
Johnston grew up in a time when luxuries were few, and admits he was greatly affected by growing up in the times of the Great Depression. He obviously did not come from a wealthy family or he wouldn’t have been struggling to pay for his school, but he has clear memories of his mother feeding migrant workers and packing them to-go meals. Johnston says his mother, while not a wealthy woman, understood we have an obligation to help those trying to find work and better themselves.
Johnston finished school and decided to build a fund to keep his promise. He saved $80,000 and then began to invest it. He never dipped into the money, sustaining himself on his pharmacist wages. He continued to grow the fund, and eventually it reached a flat million dollars.
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