Archives: Guide to the Eldon G. Schafer Papers II

Title:    Eldon G. Schafer Papers II
Dates:    1917-1990
Collection number:   M-002
Size:   7 document boxes, 2 wrapped containers, 3 video tapes, 2 audio cassette tapes (3.4 cubic feet)
Access Restrictions:   None, collection is open for research.

Description:   Personal papers documenting the family history, military service, and death of  Eldon G. Schafer, president of Lane Community College, 1970-1985. 

Provenance:   Donated by Lucy B. Schafer on January 9, 1992; Accessioned as 91-MS2 and later changed to 93-028.
Processed by: Michael Ridderbusch, 1991; Elizabeth Uhlig, 1998.

Citation:   Eldon G. Schafer Papers II, M-002, Archives and Records Management, Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon

Repository:
Lane Community College
Archives and Records Management
Elizabeth M. Uhlig, Archivist
4000 East 30th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97405 USA
Telephone: (541) 463-5466
Fax: (541) 463-3970
E-mail: archivesmessages@lanecc.edu

Biography

Eldon Guy Schafer (1922-1985) was president of Lane Community College for fifteen years, 1970-1985. 

Schafer was born in Molalla, Oregon, to Lillian M. and Guy F. Schafer on February 27, 1922.  He attended rural elementary and secondary schools in the Canby and Molalla area, and after high school graduation in 1939, he attended Oregon State University in 1941.  In 1942 he joined the U.S. Army and entered an engineering program at Pomona College in California.  He was sent to Europe in 1943 and served with the 124th Armored Engineers and 13th Armored Division in France, Germany, and Austria.

"I joined the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington, and was sent to the Santa Anita Race Track in Southern California.  The Japanese[-Americans] were interned there but were moved to Colorado.  We lived in the horse stables and I worked in the Grandstand as an artist using an air brush and crayons developing training aids.  It was quite a life.  I had my car and every weekend it was off to Hollywood--quite an experience for a boy from the woods of Oregon.  While there I represented the base on basketball and baseball teams playing throughout California.  One of the highlights was pitching against Joe DiMaggio."

After the war he returned to Pomona College, where he was active in sports, and graduated with a B.A. in 1948.  He continued his education in California, receiving an M.A. (1960) and a Ph.D. (1965) in Education Administration from Claremont Graduate School.

Newspaper accounts of one of the games Eldon Schafer pitched for the Camp Santa Anita team.  c. 1942-1943.

He married Lucy Jane Brokaw in Los Angeles in 1947; their son, Kenneth, joined the family in 1961.

He began his teaching career at Capistrano High School in California where he taught and coached sports between 1950-1952 and served as dean of students, principal, and district superintendent, 1957-1966.  He was associate dean of instruction at Riverside City College, 1966-1967.

Schafer moved to Oregon in 1967 to become the founding president of Linn-Benton Community College, 1967-1970.  From there he moved to the presidency of Lane Community College, 1970-1985.

Schafer was active in many regional and national educational organizations and served as officers for the Oregon Community College Association, the Northwest Association of Community and Junior Colleges, the League for Innovation in the Community College, the Commission on Colleges of Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Oregon Community College Presidents' Council.

He traveled to China twice, in 1982 and 1984, as a member of the International Visiting Team of the World Bank Educational Advisory Group.  The group assisted China in restructuring its vocational education.

Dr. Schafer resigned as president of the college on April 30, 1985.  He died on August 6, 1985 following a long battle with leukemia and multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow).

Scope & Content Note

The Eldon G. Schafer Papers II document the family history, military service, and death of Eldon Schafer, president of Lane Community College, 1970-1985.

The family history of the Schafers and the Brokaws (the family of his wife, Lucy Brokaw Schafer) are preserved in a written history of the Schafer family, a genealogical table, letters from German relatives, and photographs of the Schafer and Brokaw families dating from 1917.

Schafer's military service with the 124th Armored Engineer Battalion, 13th Armored Division in California, France, Germany, and Austria during World War II is documented with a written history of the division, photographs, clippings, maps, postcards, patches, insignia, and souvenirs.

Letters and cards of condolence received after Schafer's death in August 1985 are included as are videotapes of his memorial service and local television coverage of his death.

Related Collections:

The Eldon G. Schafer Papers I (M-001) document Schafer's professional career as president of Lane Community College, 1970-1985. 

President's Records: Eldon G. Schafer (A-036) contain records from the President's Office and document Schafer's tenure as president of LCC.

Container Listing

Box 1 
Biographical Features - Family History:
Schafer Family, 1974-1990; 
Brokaw Family, n.d. 

Correspondence: 
Schafer Family - German Relatives, 1978-1986; 
Condolences following death, A-Ha, 1985 (9 folders). 

Box 2 
Correspondence: 
Condolences following death, He-Wh, 1985 (13 folders). 

Box 3 
Correspondence:
Condolences following death, Wi-Z, 1985 (2 folders); 
Christmas cards, 1970-1985. 
Miscellaneous, 1940-1961. 

Clippings:
Clippings and death announcement, 1985-1986 (3 folders). 

Legal Documents: 
Veteran's Administration, 1946-1949; 
U.S. Passports, 1978, 1983. 

Subject Files:
Mollala Union High School, 1939, 1974-1984; 
Pomona College, 1947-1986; 
U.S. Army, records about service Europe in World War II, publications, clippings, maps, postcards, ephemera, 1944-1945 (9 folders); 
Post-death, 1985; 
Memorial service correspondence, programs, 1985. 

Box 4 
Guest Books:
Memorial Service for Guy Schafer (father), 1982; 
Memorial Service Eldon Schafer, 1985. 

Photographs:
Schafer Family, 1917-1981 (4 folders); 
World War II service, 1944-1945; 
Pomona College, 1947-1985; 
Christmas photo postcards, 1947-1949; 
Pomona home, 1950-1955; 
Claremont Graduate School, graduations, 1961, 1966; 
Schafer Family Portraits, 1970-1985; 
Miscellaneous, 1970s-1985; 
Chisholm, John, n.d.; 
Brokaw, Lucy Jane, portraits, 1934-1978; 
Brokaw, Arthur and Beatrice, c. 1929, 1949-1950. 

Box 5 
Photographs:
Brokaw,  Lucy and Carolyn, 1932, 1962, 1985; 
Brokaw, Lucy and Beatrice, 1964, 1978, 1984; 
Schafer, Kenneth, 1982, 1986; 
Post-Death, 1985 (2 folders); 
Bandon, 1985-1987. 

Ephemera:
Wallet, flower cards, postcards, 1917-1985. 

Box 6 
Ephemera:
Athletic letters, employee badges, army insignia and dog tags, 1939-1946. 

Box 7 - Oversize
U.S. Army - 124th Armored Engineer Battalion, 13th Armored Division: publications, 1945. 

Diplomas:
B.A., Pomona College, 1949; 
M.A., Claremont College, 1961; 
Ph.D., Claremont Graduate School, 1966. 

Scrapbook with clippings about father's army service, 1919; athletics, 1939-1956. 

Photographs:
Army basic training unit, 1944-1945; 
Pomona football, 1945-1948; 
Fishing trip, c. 1962.

Container 8 - Oversize - Wrapped
Photographs: Army Special Training Unit 3921, Company B, 1944 (2 photos). 

Container 9 - Oversize: Wrapped
Drawing : "Moose"  - colored drawing of Schafer, nicknamed 'Moose,' 1947. 

Container 10 
Trophy:    Champions - Pomona  Freshmen, 1948.

Video Tape Box 4
Death announcements and memorial service, 1985 (3 video tapes). 

Audio Tape Box 1
Memorial Service, 1985 (2 cassette tapes).