SUMTER, S.C. — With great blessings can come great responsibility. Reverend Dr. Solomon Jackson, Jr. won the lottery in 2009, and he turned over the winning, and the blessings, for others.
Jackson has given Morris College the largest donation they have ever received from a single person: $10 million. Monday, he helped break ground on a new building on campus.
"I realize that the position that I'm in comes the good and the bad, but I promise to be led by God and if I'm led by God, I can't forget those who led me to where I am," he said. "Morris College will always and forever be a part of my life."
Jackson's generosity has put new buildings on the campus, and it has purchased new equipment such as a bus. A building will now stand at the site of Tuesday's groundbreaking, with new offices and a place to store maintenance equipment and vehicles.
"It's good to be in this position, what I have to precaution and be aware of is that there are other vultures and if I let them keep gnawing at me, they will try to turn my blessing into a curse," Jackson says. "I refuse that and I hope they get the message. Don't get mad at me because the Lord has blessed me. Morris College will be blessed."
The building will be called the Solomon Jackson, Sr., William McKinleyBowman, Sr., Raymond Carolina Physical Plant, named after Jackson's father and two men who served as spiritual mentors to him.
"My father will always be cherished in my heart, he taught me everything that I know, even pushing a lawnmower when it was dull and he had to work to feed all of us," he said.
Morris College President Dr. Luns C. Richardson said that numerous generations of students and staff will be able to enjoy the gifts that Jackson has given.
"Our maintenance staff and buildings and grounds workers will have a decent place to plan and work out of," he said. "We haven't stopped smiling yet."
Jackson says it is a thrill to help generations of students and staff for decades to come.
"For everything I do I try to acknowledge God, for where He leads me, there I will go," Jackson said.
Who am I to judge?
So I guess I won't.
I'd like to know if that was the whole wad. I can't watch the video cuz they still ain't pipin' in hi-speed to the stump jumpers back up in here.
Did the video mention if that was all of his winnings or how much he won?
Thank you rdgrnr
for preventing my rush to judgement...I skipped the video first time around but now have newfound faith in the Reverend.
He won:
$260,000,000
$10,000,000 is a modest gift and in my enlightened opinion, not as bad as giving the entire amount to a college. Hopefully he finds very good
things to do with the other 5%.
This is spreading the wealth the way it is meant to be!
His money goes where HE wants it to go!
A lot of christians say in the bible its wrong to gamble and gambling is a sin, lottery is a gambling game that Reverend Dr. Solomon Jackson chose to play in, it can't be a sin if a reverend chose to play it and in the process won big can it?
Nope I don't think that's the whole wad....The guy won more than 250 Million so unless he has a garage full of Rolls..Bently and Ferrari's then I say he's got 10's of Millions left. But that's a hefty donation he's given...I hope he can continue to do good work and not get caught up in too much media attention.....He seems like a good guy and handles the money well so good luck to him....
Thanks dr65 and petergrfn.
Yeah, that's a nice chunk o' change and a nice chunk he gave the college.
From some of his talk it sounds like he's being pestered for handouts.
I wish him the best.
Wow, what a generous man. I like it when people like him win big.
I am a Christian and I gamble... The Bible also says that you can consume of the wine, but, do not get drunk... I believe that everything is ok in moderation, as long as it does not harm you, i.e. (drugs). You have overbearing Christians that make me ashamed of being a child of Christ. Because they believe that sitting at home reading the bible and going to church is the only thing in this life that matters and I say... how are you supposed to witness to people when you spit in their face because they are a sports fan or gamble? I think that the best way to witness to someone is to rise above those people and become a better person by representing the true meaning of being Christian... Jesus loves the sinner and the non sinner he may not approve, and he wants to lead you in the right path but in the end that choice is yours... You shine the light of Christ in your life, and that representation to your friends and co-workers of what God has done in your life is witness enough to make them think that this path that they have choose is not the right path... sometimes it is not your words but actions that define you and where you stand.
God Bless you, and the Rev.
Dittoes, adamc.
Now if you could just get some of these holier-than-thou's in TN to let us buy whiskey without traveling all over the dadgum state to get it or making it ourselves, well, I'd be happier than a fat rat in a cheese house.
HEY..... there is nothing like some homemade shine.... "peach or cherry?" -Days of Thunder-
I was just asking how much he won, Louise. The article didn't specify how much he won and I can't watch the video cuz they won't pump in that hi-speed internet to us pore white trash crackers up here in the mountains.
dr65 and petergrfn responded and told me he won $260 million.
I then said I wished him the best.
I don't know how you misunderstood anything. It was plain old English without even having to deal with my hillbilly accent. You oughta hear me when I got a mouth full of biscuits and gravy and try to talk. It's even worse with corn bread and soup beans. I ain't even gonna mention shoo-fly pie or apple-pan dowdy. Hot peppers are worse though. That's when I get to howlin like a ol' howlin wolf. Ooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww, oooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! I think the absolute worst though is when I got one of them old cheap whiskey hangovers. Oooohh, Lawd have mersaaay! My tongue be wallerin out like a dyin calf in a hailstorm, Louise. You gotta see it sometime. The little woman says I commence to making a sorrowful, nerve racking, pitiful, gut-wrenchin moanin sound like the world ain't never seen.
I'm bout to fix me a little taste right now, Louise. If you was here I'd set ya fine seff up too.
No cheap stuff now, Louise. It's Gentleman Jack tonight.
Here is the breakdown of how much he gave for each thing:
- $3 million for a new dorm
- $2.5 million for a new administration building
- $1 million to the college's general endowment
- $1 million to endow athletic scholarships
- $747,000 for a new maintenance building and vehicle shed
- $500,000 for freshman scholarships
- $450,000 for a coach bus
- $435,000 for a new roof for an existing dorm
I remember hearing about this guy and seeing a video of him at the press conference. Really nice guy and is the kind of person you want to hear about winning.