Students Were Frightened Of Their Teacher Until His Double Life Was Revealed

What Was He Hiding Behind His Teacher Persona

Schoolteacher Jim O’Connor had a reputation for being one of the school’s most feared teachers. Each day, the old man seemed frustrated, tired and seemingly on edge. His students were careful not to anger their short-tempered algebra teacher.

Notorious For His Temper

O’Connor had quite the fearsome reputation amongst the many students of St. Francis High School. “It drives me crazy when people say that school should be fun, I mean, it’s nice if it could be, but you can’t make school fun, ” says O’Connor.

No Soft Side Here

He was a well-respected, qualified teacher. Yet O’Connor was known for his harsh and often cold temperament. “If you look at the clock, you’re on his bad list for the rest of class,” student Michael Tinglof told the Los Angeles Times.  Many students feared him.

The Wrath Of O’Connor

Another senior, Pat McGoldrick, added that before new students eventually get to know Mr O’Connor, “everybody thinks he’s being really mean.” The teacher has said: “You want to teach a class with 30 boys, you’ve got to be strict.”  He demanded the utmost respect from his many students.

A Difficult History

Like so many other men of his time, O’Connor had served in the height of the conflict of the Vietnam War. US involvement in the long-standing conflict escalated in the mid-sixties. O’Conner left his life behind and dutifully ventured into unfamiliar and dangerous territory.

Old Habits

The students and teachers who knew of O’Conner’s war history speculated that this was one of the reasons contributing to his cold exterior. Rigid discipline and a deep respect for rules are often instilled in men with a military background.

What Awaited Them

For years, O’Connor was known as one of the strictest teachers in the high school. That would change when a couple of the students decided to set up a blood initiative to offer blood to the local Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

Extremely Unexpected Situation

The students arrived at the hospital, greeted by many grateful doctors and nurses. When they discovered they were from St. Francis High School, the pupils were asked if they knew Jim O’Connor. The answer they received left them surprised.

A Different Side

At the mention of their teacher’s name, the nurses’ faces lit up. “Isn’t he wonderful?” the medical staff gushed. The students were surprised to hear the compliment. Surely they couldn’t mean the grumpy and disgruntled man that they had come to know?

Star Status

As the students walked through the hospital corridors, one pupil noticed a plaque on one of the walls listing the hospital’s most frequent donors. To their utter surprise, there, in gold lettering, was the name of the top donor; none other than their grumpy schoolteacher. The surprises didn’t stop there.

Truth starts to come out

The pupils soon discovered that their teacher had been donating blood to the children’s hospital for almost thirty years. He was well-known and liked for his patience, generosity and commitment to offering his help to the hospital whenever he could.

Valuable Veteran

The teacher’s blood was an especially valuable contribution to the hospital’s blood bank. His O-negative blood type can be used by anyone in need of a transfusion. O-negative blood donors are known as ‘universal donors,’ who have the unique capacity to offer people, no matter what their blood type, the help they desperately need in emergency situations.

A Good Man

O’Connor had been donating both blood and platelets for three decades, in order to help cancer patients and newborn babies. The students were delighted to discover this magnanimous yet hidden part of their teacher’s life.

Not So Heartless Afterall

Not only was O’Connor a selfless and long-standing blood donor, he also gave his time to help care for sick and premature babies. For three days, a week over the course of twenty years, the war veteran had worked as a TLC volunteer, caring for the hospital’s newborns.

Couldn’t Believe Their Ears

When these details were revealed to the pupils, they were in total disbelief. “They tend to calm for him,” said nurse Erin Schmidt. “They tend to relax with him, they fall asleep with him.” The old man had a soft and gentle side, a natural ability to nurture, love and care for these defenseless

Rare Compassion

Another nurse, Jeri Fonacier, agreed wholeheartedly. “No matter how sick they are, no matter how devastated, he’s just so caring. He brings such a warmth and peace.” Behind a rough exterior, this man had a rare and true gift. In such radically tumultuous times, the world needs more men with such compassion.

Yet All Alone

O’Connor had never married or had children of his own yet he seemed to have a natural and instinctual talent for caring for babies who are in distress. The teacher finds comfort in the act of giving back. “I just like them and relate to them somehow,” he told CBS.

Majorly In Distress

The nurses believe the babies are particularly soothed by Jim’s deep voice. But he believes that the infants will respond to any kind human connection. Professional experts agree that such contact is indeed essential for babies who are premature or in distress.

Deeper Motivation

O’Connor’s motivation for offering his time and love runs deeper than wanting to be charitable. The teacher of 38 years can’t bear the thought of a helpless child being parted with their parents in such a time of need. “I don’t want to see them alone. You can’t do that,” he said, appearing to fight back tears.

Really Hit A Nerve

There are many reasons why the babies’ relatives and parents might not be able to be by their side. Perhaps they are caring for their other children, working hard to financially support their family or simply live too far from the hospital in order to visit regularly. In rare but tragic cases, some parents have been suspected of abuse and therefore are not allowed visitation. But how did O’Connors incredible charity work begin?

They Have Nobody

“The kids who have nobody, those are the ones who obviously need volunteers a lot. They just want to be held by somebody,” O’Connor said in an interview with NBC. He was often most drawn to the newborns who were left alone, without the care, attention and love they so craved.

Secret Revealed

“You’re not a tough guy at all,” said CBS interviewer Steve Hartman,  who was extremely touched by the unconditional love shown by the seemingly hard-faced old man in front of him. “I know, but don’t tell my students!” O’Connor joked in response.

Not So Tough After all

His pupils were understandably shocked to discover their teacher’s soft and caring side. “I’ve always respected him, but now it’s to a different degree where I try and emulate him,” McGoldrick said. “He’s the epitome of a man of service.”

Double Life Finally Exposed

After keeping his incredible volunteer work secret for 20 years, it’s evident the humble veteran did not give up his time in the hopes of gaining notoriety or receiving praise. Since the truth was revealed, he has said to hope that his own charity will motivate his students and others to do the same. “If there are more people wanting to donate blood, wanting to volunteer, then that’s great,” he told NBC.

New Found Fame

Jim’s newfound fame wasn’t going to stop the gentle man from continuing to do what he did best. “We see him and we say, ‘Oh Jim, oh thank God you’re here,’” nurse Rebecca Day told The Los Angeles Times. Now that Jim’s story has gone viral, he is a well-respected and much-loved member of the local community. The world needs more men like Mr Jim O’Connor.