Albert G. Hall was born March 15, 1908 in Blountstown, Fla., and was the youngest of 11 children. His parents homesteaded in Calhoun County in northern Florida in in 1870, and he had a grandfather who died serving in the Civil War.

Albert was a gentle and quiet man who took care of his mother until he was drafted into the Army during World War II. Albert was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and received the Purple Heart Medal.

While convalescing in England, Albert met Ada Willcock from Cornwall, and they wed in 1945. Albert and Ada retired in Alachua County on modest means, and they were both active in the Oak Park Baptist Church. Having no children of his own, it was here that Albert’s true calling in life was manifested. Working with underprivileged and small children became Albert’s life work—a task that he devoted himself to until his death in April 1994.

Albert could never afford to attend college as a young man, so he spent his life reading and studying. He worked as a maintenance man in the civil service, thus having a small income and a simple life. He discovered that true satisfaction comes from shaping the minds of young people and inspiring them to escape poverty through intellectual growth.

This endowment pays tribute to Albert’s commitment to the education of children and is provided by his nephew, Lincoln E. Hall, and Lincoln’s wife, Lillia