George Dawson (January 19, 1898 – July 5, 2001) was called "America's favorite poster child for literacy"[1] after learning to read at the age of 98.
Dawson was born in Marshall, Texas, on January 19, 1898 as the first of five children, a farmer's son, and grandson and great-grandson of African-American slaves.
"[4] He married Elzenia Arnold, a literate woman, and they moved to Dallas, where Dawson began to work for the city in road repair.
[citation needed] In 1996, when Dawson was aged about 98, a man was making door-to-door visits on behalf of a local adult education program.
[3][5] This same school subsequently placed his autobiography under review in August 2022, deeming topics such as "lynching, racism, segregation and civil rights" unsuitable instructional materials in a 7th-grade curriculum.