Joseph McCandless's military photo from 1944.

Joseph McCandless' mother, Sylvia Cooper McCandless, graduated from Slippery Rock State Normal School in 1909, and his sister, Sara Jane McCandless, graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1950.

When the World War II veteran passed away Jan. 14, 2020 at 98, McCandless left a gift of more than $1.1 million to SRU, which is the largest gift by a private individual in the university's history, according to a news release from Slippery Rock.

The gift will be used to establish an endowed scholarship named in honor of McCandless' mother and sister.

This is an excerpt from Friday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.