Sep 4, 2024 - Education

Scoop: Charles Barkley's $1M donation to St. Mary's arrives after students solve Pythagorean Theorem

Chelsea Brasted

Two students are seen over the shoulder of a man while he is speaking. — Ne'Kiya Jackson and Calcea Johnson speak with 60 Minutes' Bill Whitaker. Photo: CBS News 60 Minutes

Charles Barkley gave the first part of a $1 million donation to St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans after the NBA legend saw a "60 Minutes" report about the school's alumni who proved the "impossible" by solving the 2,000-year-old Pythagorean Theorem.

Why it matters: "This transformative gift will assist students as they excel and achieve whatever dream they create within the walls of St. Mary's Academy," says St. Mary's Academy president Pamela Rogers in a press release.

Catch up quick: Before Calcea Johnson and Ne'Kiya Jackson graduated from St. Mary's, the pair discovered a new proof for the theorem, presenting their findings at a conference for the American Mathematical Society.

The students used trigonometry to find their solution, "something once deemed impossible by mathematicians," a press release says.
Today, Johnson is an LSU student, and Jackson is studying at Xavier University.

Zoom in: Barkley's donation is a "ten-year gift," according to the school.

St. Mary's will use the money to "enhance its legendary educational experience and provide students with opportunities to grow and develop in the classroom and the New Orleans community," according to a press release.

Watch the original "60 Minutes" story

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Scoop: Charles Barkley's $1M donation to St. Mary's arrives after students solve Pythagorean Theorem

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