FARGO (AP) - A former North Dakotan with a passion for education has given more than $2 million for agriculture students at North Dakota State University.

Frank Bain of Seattle, who died in February, two months before his 101st birthday, donated $2.3 million to NDSU for a scholarship endowment. He grew up in central North Dakota, near the town of Butte.

Bain's great-niece, Roxette Riseden of Tacoma, Wash., said she did not know until after his death that Bain had named NDSU as a beneficiary. He did not attend the university.

"He was very impassioned about learning his whole life," Riseden said.

The NDSU Development Foundation first heard from Bain 12 years ago, when he sought information on agriculture scholarships. Seven years later, Bain sent the foundation a check for $10,000. More checks followed, totaling more than $50,000, for agriculture scholarships.

In April, the NDSU Development Foundation learned Bain had died and left even more money from insurance annuities to the university. In all, the donations totaled $2.3 million.

Starting next fall, the endowment will provide $90,000 in scholarships each year for agriculture students, said Jason Wohlman, associate executive director of the Development Foundation. It is the largest scholarship gift to NDSU's College of Agriculture, said D.C. Coston, NDSU's vice president for agriculture.

Bain grew up on the family homestead near Butte, one of 13 children born to Ukrainian immigrants, Riseden said. His birth name was Boozenny, but he later changed it to Bain.

The homestead is still in the Boozenny family, three generations later, said Riseden, who lived on the family farm until she was in the second grade.

"One of the reasons he made this generous gift was his agriculture background," Riseden said. "He never forgot where he started."

At 15, Bain ran away from home because he wanted to attend school in Minot, and worked his way through college, earning degrees from a university in California, Riseden said.

Bain had a doctorate in finance and taught at colleges and universities all over the country, she said. His wife, Mildred, taught kindergarten for 45 years, Riseden said. They had no children.

Bain also named the Butte Public School District as a beneficiary, but the district dissolved a few years ago. Riseden said that is still being resolved in probate court.

Bain was a private man, Riseden said, and she did not know the extent of her great-uncle's generosity.

"He certainly did not do this for any notoriety or recognition," she said. "He wanted to provide others with the opportunity he didn't have."