đź“…This fact may be outdated
Harris Rosen passed away on November 25, 2024, at age 85. The Tangelo Park Program continues to operate and is funded in perpetuity. The statistics cited (crime reduction of ~50% and graduation rate reaching 100%) are accurate based on program data since 1993.
Self-made millionaire Harris Rosen adopted a Florida neighborhood called Tangelo Park, cut the crime rate in half, and increased the high school graduation rate from 25% to 100% by giving everyone free daycare and all high school graduates scholarships.
The Millionaire Who Transformed an Entire Neighborhood
In 1993, hotel mogul Harris Rosen made an extraordinary promise to Tangelo Park, a struggling Orlando neighborhood: every child would get free preschool, and every high school graduate would receive a full college scholarship. No strings attached. Just an investment in human potential.
The results were nothing short of transformative.
From Struggling to Thriving
Before Rosen's intervention, Tangelo Park was plagued by a 25% high school dropout rate and rampant crime. The neighborhood was caught in a cycle that seemed impossible to break. But Rosen, who had built one of the Southeast's largest independent hotel chains from a single Quality Inn purchase in 1974, saw opportunity where others saw only problems.
Within years of the program's launch, the numbers told an incredible story:
- High school graduation rates soared from 75% to nearly 100%
- Crime in the neighborhood plummeted by 50-78% (depending on measurement methods)
- Property values tripled, with average homes jumping from $45,000 to $150,000
- Tangelo Park Elementary became a grade-A school
The Secret Formula
Rosen's approach was elegantly simple but radical in execution. Every child aged 2-4 living in Tangelo Park received free preschool education. This early intervention gave kids a crucial head start. Then came the real game-changer: full scholarships covering tuition, room, board, and books to any Florida college or Rollins College for every graduating senior.
The program created a powerful incentive structure. Kids grew up knowing that if they finished high school, college was guaranteed—not just possible, but paid for. Parents became more invested in education. The community rallied around student success.
Beyond Graduation Rates
Nearly 200 students have earned Rosen scholarships since 1993. But the real shock is what happened next: 77% of Tangelo Park students who attend four-year colleges complete their degrees—far above the national average for similar socioeconomic communities. For graduate programs, the completion rate hits 83%. Vocational students? Also 83% completion.
An economic analysis found that society gets a seven-to-one return on Rosen's investment. For every dollar he spent, the community generated seven dollars in value through reduced crime, increased property values, higher earnings, and economic activity.
A Legacy That Continues
Harris Rosen passed away on November 25, 2024, at age 85, but his vision lives on. The Tangelo Park Program is funded in perpetuity, ensuring that generations of children will continue to benefit. He later expanded the model to the Parramore neighborhood and invested heavily in Haiti, education initiatives, and cancer research (after losing his son Adam to brain cancer in 2018).
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings summed it up: "The quality of life has improved significantly." But perhaps the most telling sign is this: the Rosen Foundation scholarships are increasingly becoming a safety net rather than the primary funding source, because students are now earning their own scholarships independently. The culture of achievement Rosen planted has taken root.
One man. One neighborhood. One audacious bet that investing in children—really investing, not just talking about it—could change everything. He was right.