Students of Douglas Elementary School greeted a donor with numerous thank-yous for his generosity. (Jennifer Scott/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Not everyone remembers their elementary school but for Jack Benson, Douglas Elementary holds a special place in his heart.

“I like to think I got a very good start in life because of Douglas,” Benson said. “There was a legendary teacher here, Hazel Chappell and she taught first grade and for some reason, I guess she took me under her wing … and I think as a result of that, I’ve been successful in the business world.”

Benson was in the financial business for many years before he retired in 2015 as senior vice president with Merrill Lynch in Fort Worth.

“As the years passed, I thought of a way perhaps that I could give back,” Benson said. ”And I think you should give back to organizations that have helped you along the way.”

He donated $100,000 to his former elementary school.

“It just really opened some doors for us that otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to do,” said principal Christy Roach.

Back in October, Roach received a message from a secretary requesting she call a particular person to talk to her about donating. According to the school principal, she decided to wait to call the next day because it was after 5 o’clock and she wanted to be respectful of their time.

“At first, I didn’t believe it, to be honest,” Roach said. “But I called, and Mr. Benson and I started talking and we had some things in common. He grew up two blocks away from Douglas and I grew up three blocks away from Douglas. So, we talked a bit about how things have changed and all that.”

Then Benson said that he would like to donate to the campus.

“At first it was like, wait a minute, pinch me, Lord, because I don’t know if this is true,” Roach said, laughing. “But it turned out that’s his intent. He just wanted to give back to his elementary school.”

Roach and Benson communicated over the months leading up to his visit. And once the school board approved the generous donation, a planning committee of teachers and parents was formed.

“We were all able to kind of get on the same page about what would be something good for our campus,” Roach said. “This is something that’s for the community, it’s not just my vision. It’s the community’s vision.”

According to a press release from Tyler ISD, Benson’s contribution is specifically designated to transform the school’s outdoor spaces into a dynamic, hands-on learning environment. This initiative includes installing new playground equipment and creating a covered outdoor learning area, all aimed at enhancing the educational journey of the students at Douglas.

“Tyler ISD is an amazing district,” Roach said. “And because it’s amazing people see that and want to support schools in Tyler and that’s important.”

Douglas Elementary has well over 600 students from preschool through fifth grade.

“Our superintendent’s message has always been ‘successful students outcomes,’” Roach said. “And that goes hand in hand with community support and teaching our kids not only to be academically sound, but successful in all areas and that is part of being thankful.”

As part of the visit, the teachers and students of Douglas Elementary planned a special thank-you parade in the halls to express appreciation. Some classes even sang songs for the Bensons.

“The friendliness of the students and seeing their accomplishments when we’re walking down the hallways, it was marvelous,” Benson said. “The school itself is marvelous, as were the teachers I met. I think that Tyler ISD is getting their money’s worth at Douglas.”

After a parade of heartfelt gratitude from the students, Benson and his wife Carol were given a tour of the courtyard by the principal herself, where she showed the outdoor area that the donation will impact.

“I know in the community of Tyler, there are people who have been very successful,” Benson said. “And I would hope this is an example for them again to give back to the school, or give the school tools that help them be successful.”