Don Schaefer, Long-Time Editor and Historian, Dies at Age 85

University Relations

Don Schaefer

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Don Schaefer M.Ed.'84, a long-time editor and historian of the university, died Feb. 15, 2018, at Willard Walker Hospice House in Fayetteville after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 85.

Schaefer worked for 25 years in the University of Arkansas Division of Information, now known as the Office of University Relations, editing the university's annual Catalog of Studies and updating the campus map each year among other projects for the university. 

Dave Edmark, a former director of the news office of the Division of Information, worked with Schaefer in the early 1980s. He described Schaefer as an "encyclopedic reservoir of information about campus history and traditions and an all-around institutional memory about things that long predated his arrival at the U of A. He not only put together and regularly updated the campus map but also knew the history of each structure on it. In the pre-internet days we relied on the books and file cabinet contents to find what we needed for background information about how the university operated and its academic programs, but everyone knew the quickest way to begin a search for material was to consult with Don."

"Don was always kind, thoughtful and humorous, and he was a friend to all who knew him," said Roy Cordell, the director of creative services for the university. "His steady work through the years helped make the transition from the old Division of Information to the University Relations we know today. I always knew him to be devoted to his family, his faith and his community, and I'm a better person for having known him."

Schaefer retired in 1995 but continued his research into the university's history, documenting the history of more than 80 campus buildings for the Office of Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration. His histories covered both former and current buildings, from a simple 19th century brick bath house — nicknamed "Jeff Hall" by students who were making fun of then-Gov. Jeff Davis — to the well-known Old Main and Carnall Hall to now obscure names of buildings like Buchanan Hall, the first men's residence hall, and "Schmidt's Barn," an early athletic fieldhouse.

"This is a sad day for our beloved university," said Chancellor Emeritus G. David Gearhart. "Don was the go-to person for anything historic about the University of Arkansas. He had an unbelievable grasp of our past, and we even invited him to write descriptions of all our historic buildings, which he did with unbelievable accuracy. He loved the University of Arkansas and was a very capable and highly valued member of the administration for many years. His passing is a great loss as he held so much information and knowledge about our institution that he always offered willingly to anyone interested. His memory was amazing, and chatting with him always provided an incredible history lesson, both enjoyable and educational. He was a university icon and will be missed." 

Schaefer was born Dec. 16, 1932 in Searcy, the son of William Herman and Nancy Whitford Schaefer. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Shirley Mills Schaefer in 2012, after 57 years of marriage.

Schaefer earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Arkansas State College and then worked in school and university publications at Hurley Printing Co., Arkansas College and then the University of Arkansas, starting in 1970. He also served in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in the U.S. Army Reserve, reaching the rank of captain. While working at the University of Arkansas, he earned a Master of Education from the College of Education and Health Professions.

He was a deacon for University Baptist Church, active in Gideon's International, a member of Kiwanis International for over 50 years and an A-plus member of the Arkansas Alumni Association. He was also a member of the Washington County Historical Society and served as editor of its publication, Flashback, which won awards under his editorship.

His survivors include his wife of four years, Gloria Johnson Schaefer; three daughters, Ann Covington, Carol Huneycutt and Susan Seaman; one brother, Clair Schaefer; 11 grandchildren, including Matthew Covington of the U of A Department of Geosciences; and nine great-grandsons.

Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at Moore's Chapel. The funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, at University Baptist Church. Burial will be at 1 p.m. at the Fayetteville National Cemetery. Memorials can be made to The Gideon's International, P.O. Box 3022, Fayetteville, AR 72702.