OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma resident who forgot to return a book he checked out from the school library is making up for lost time!

Brent Gooden checked the book out in the 1960’s and forgot to return it – until now.

“My wife and I are about to move into a new house. We were going through the attic to clean it out and I came across this book: Our New Friends,” Gooden said.

“I was immediately mortified because I know that my mom would be extremely upset that we didn’t return the book in a timely fashion,” said Gooden.

So, he mailed the book to The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools with a $1,000 check to make up for its 55-year delayed return.

“I felt at that particular time, the only thing to do is do the right thing and try to reconcile,” Gooden said.

Half of the money went to the foundation and the other half went back to his Alma mater to pay for 35 more books.

It’s an important part of the students learning.

“For me, reading is just a form of entertainment if it’s fiction. A reservoir of knowledge if it’s non-fiction,” Ahmed Rahman, a 4th grader at Kaiser Elementary School, said.

“I think it was really nice of him to do that since he had to pay that fee that he had from his book,” said 5th grader Jade Sossa.

“He didn’t forget where he came from. He knows what a difference Oklahoma City Public Schools has made in his life,” Mary Melon, President and CEO for Foundations for Oklahoma City Public Schools, said.

Gooden is relieved he finally was able to correct his error, but is more pleased to know he can give back to a school that taught him so much.

“To get involved and to do something to help the next generation that are aspiring to do wonderful things,” Gooden said – proving it’s never too late to do the right thing.

By the way, Gooden should have only had the book for a week.