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John Corcoran graduated from high school and college and then spent 17 years as a high school teacher without knowing how to read or write. How on earth did he pull that off? And why? This is his story.

A different version of this story was originally presented on Strangers in early 2012.

All music in this episode by Paul Dreux Smith.

John in elementary school

John as Homecoming King, 1955

John as College Basketball Captain

John the High School teacher with his wife Kathy–now of 47 years

John’s graduation from the University of Texas at El Paso, 1961

John Corcoran at the White House with President Bush in 1992, when he was appointed to the National Institute for Literacy

John delivering computers to kids through the John Corcoran Foundation