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Mike Shea

On first meeting Charlie Shaffer you notice his size and still powerful build. It's easy to believe he was a star football player, an 'All-Southern halfback' for UNC. It's harder to believe that was nearly 70 years ago.

Charlie and his wife Charlotte are synonymous with UNC-Chapel Hill.

They've dedicated their lives to making UNC-CH an institution that succeeds not only in educating quality young people but also in contributing to a better life for those living in the Chapel Hill area and all North Carolina.

They are both graduates, as are their children. The gracious, two-story home they've lived in for 50 years, appropriately, sits on a hillside on Gimghoul Road overlooking the campus and its sports fields.

Charlie Shaffer is the man most responsible for the UNC Educational Foundations and their history of largess. James Copeland, President of the Medical Foundation of North Carolina, School of Medicine, says of Charlie, "He planted the seeds and pioneered fund-raising at UNC."

Charlie Shaffer was appointed the university's first development coordinator in 1952. And his success is now legendary.

While involved in all the university foundations, Charlie is best noted for his success with the Medical Foundation, which now has assets exceeding $150 million and has more than 800 different recipients financially assisted. Charlie served as secretary for the Foundation and was primarily responsible for financial management.

In 1982 Charlie was presented the UNC Distinguished Service Award for his work with the Medical Foundation. The citation describes Charlie as the "architect of the university development situation as we know it today." And it describes him as a "missionary for the university."

Charlie is also a former "Citizen of the Year in Chapel Hill" and was president of the first Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce.

Charlie's success was not limited to serving UNC. He had a long-running successful career as executive of a hosiery company in Burlington before returning to his alma mater after an absence of 17 years. Charlie says one night in 1952 at a basketball game the vice president and controller of UNC asked him if he ever thought about coming back to Chapel Hill. Charlie replied, "Not more than two or three times a day." And Charlie says that chat resulted in his subsequently being hired as Assistant to the Chancellor in the field of development, something he says, "has been a real joy for me."

After more than 30 years serving UNC, Charlie Shaffer finally retired in 1985. Since then he has avidly followed all university happenings, especially sports. As he describes it, "I've been a rooter for Carolina no matter what it was, if it had North Carolina blue and white."

Besides his service to his beloved university, Charlie and Charlotte have been active members of the Chapel of the Cross, with Charlie having served on the vestry and he says with a smile, "I was even superintendent of the Sunday school one time."

Charlie traces his Episcopal Church roots from marrying Charlotte, his wife of 62 years. He says, "I was born a Presbyterian, married an Episcopalian, became one and have been happy ever since." And he says before coming to Chapel Hill, "I was active in Holy Trinity Church in Greensboro and Holy Comforter in Burlington. Naturally, being interested and young and energetic, I served on the vestries of each Church."

And the Shaffers have passed on the tradition of service to the Church. Daughter Winborne is senior warden at St. Paul's Church in Winston-Salem and son Charles Jr. has served as senior warden at All Saints Church in Atlanta.

Charlie and Charlotte are now facing a big change in their lives. This spring they will leave their beloved Chapel Hill and move to Arbor Acres in Winston-Salem where they will be near their daughter. At age 88, Charlie says "things are piling up on us now. And while we hate to leave, we think at our age it's the right thing to do."

Charlie Shaffer, a big man with a big heart, is a legend at UNC and in Chapel Hill. He and Charlotte will be missed there and at the Chapel of the Cross.

© 2002: Chapel of the Cross