Alson Clayton Alston is the 10th of 11 children of Mrs. Margaret Morris. He grew up in North Philadelphia, where he learned that he was his brother's keeper. He ignored the poverty of his youth, learned everything from his siblings, excelled academically, persevered in racially discriminatory settings. He made a small fortune as a software developer, then invested it all in his family, community and non-profits he started. He ended up with nothing materially, but was glad to have improved numerous lives. He graduated from 3 universities, obtained a law degree at the age of 50. He helped Mrs. Martin, educator and philanthropist, ensure that the youth of Balboa HS passed Algebra I after having failed it twice. He then helped her build her dream college prep school in San Francisco, CA. He learned hard work and compassion from his mother, who made certain that all of her children were industrious and cared about the world.