Inspired by a mentor, class of ’67 raises $1 million to endow a chair for COAS

Forty years later, the inspiration of a mentor still carries on with the IU class of 1967. The inspiration, in fact, carries on as much as $1 million.\nThis past weekend, on the 40th anniversary of the class of 1967, a check for $1 million was presented to allow for the endowment of an academic chair at the University. The class of 1967 is the first to officially raise $1 million. \nThe academic chair is in honor of Robert Shaffer, dean of students from 1955 to 1969, who inspired the class through his role as a mentor. The title of the chair is the Class of 1967-Robert Shaffer Chair and will be used by the College of Arts and Sciences to solicit and retain faculty for the college, said Michael Arnolt, the co-chair of the 1967 class campaign who now lives in Indianapolis. \n“We’ve been working on this for 18 years and this was the outgrowth of our initial project to fund a professorship in the College of Arts and Sciences,” Arnolt said. “We went from $300,000 to a million to endow a chair.” \nThe fundraising efforts have been ongoing since the class’s 25-year reunion, when they presented a check for $300,000 to endow a professorship.\nBut the class of 1967 didn’t stop at their $300,000 contribution. The class campaign decided to keep raising funds until they had a total of $1 million to endow a chair.\n Their dedication paid off, and the goal was met after the committee promised to come up with $80,000 if someone would come up with the remaining $23,562. Shumate made the contribution with a $25,000 check that put the fundraising over the top. \nBut while the class of 1967 dedicated themselves to achieving their class goal, the inspiration for their motivation would not have been possible without Shaffer.\nMike Shumate of West Hollywood, Calif., was a member of the campaign committee and president of the class of 1967. Shumate describes Shaffer as “a very special person.”\n“We thought (of) him as a mentor,” Shumate said. “The reason for that is because he had such close contact with us as students.”\n“Dean Shaffer encouraged our opinions and he sought them,” Shumate said. “He advocated freedom of expression and diversity way before it was fashionable to do so.”\nIn the 1960s, Shumate said concerns centered on the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. \nShumate said Shaffer cared to hear what the students had to say. \n“He was so impressionable and made a mark on all of us,” Shumate said. “We wanted to come together and endow the chair to further the University’s standard of academic excellence. The committee was really dedicated.”\nShumate explained that each class is responsible for staying on top of its respective fundraising objectives, and he certainly hopes his class’s efforts encourage other classes to continue their own fundraising efforts. \n“All classes are free to designate their own,” Shumate said. “We wanted to do a chair so we could name it in honor of Dean Shaffer. It would be wonderful to think we spurred such thinking on other class’s campaigns. We are so thrilled we were able to do this for the University.”