CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Edgar Loring was a difficult person to understand, according to his landlady of 23 years, Bonnie Otis.

He lived in an apartment over her garage in St. Petersburg, Fla., and never liked air conditioning, even with temperatures in the mid-90s.

"He didn't like to be cold," she said.

Loring kept to himself and preferred to ride bicycles instead of driving, and he never owned a car.

She got to know Loring better after he moved into a nursing home, and she would visit him on occasion. She learned he had been a sales representative in the dental industry.

He told her he went to college at a beautiful campus that sat along the river.

Once at the nursing home, Loring said to Otis, "You know I'm a millionaire," and she replied, "Yes, and I'm the queen of England."

It was no lie.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Edgar Loring was a difficult person to understand, according to his landlady of 23 years, Bonnie Otis.

He lived in an apartment over her garage in St. Petersburg, Fla., and never liked air conditioning, even with temperatures in the mid-90s.

"He didn't like to be cold," she said.

Loring kept to himself and preferred to ride bicycles instead of driving, and he never owned a car.

She got to know Loring better after he moved into a nursing home, and she would visit him on occasion. She learned he had been a sales representative in the dental industry.

He told her he went to college at a beautiful campus that sat along the river.

Once at the nursing home, Loring said to Otis, "You know I'm a millionaire," and she replied, "Yes, and I'm the queen of England."

It was no lie.

When Loring died in December 2008 at age 83, the 1948 graduate of Morris Harvey College left $1 million to his alma mater, now called the University of Charleston.

When UC administrators first heard about the gift, no one had ever heard of Loring, President Ed Welch said. They searched for his name or picture in old yearbooks, to no avail. Welch worried that Loring was referring to a college or university in some other Charleston, but finally his name showed up in old transcripts.

Welch was shocked, calling it the most compelling donor story he's ever experienced.

"It's one of those unbelievable stories you sometimes read about," he said.

Loring's contribution will benefit the UC Graduate School of Business at The Equities Building on Virginia Street, and will help provide scholarships for business students. A classroom at the business school also has been named in his honor.

Bart Morrison, dean of the graduate school, described the gift as "transformative."

Welch also thanked Otis, who persuaded Loring over several years to actually write a will. He wanted to make sure his money lived on, she said.

Reach Davin White at davinwh...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1254.