Elizabethtown College Mourns Dr. Charles D. Schaeffer, Jr.

Elizabethtown College mourns the loss of A.C. Baugher Professor of Chemistry Emeritus Charles “Charlie” D. Schaeffer Jr., Ph.D., who passed away on Saturday, March 21.

Charlie was a beloved member of the Elizabethtown College community and a passionate teacher, mentor, and scholar. He joined the Chemistry faculty as an assistant professor in 1976, was promoted to A.C. Baugher Professor of Chemistry in 1991, and served as department chair from 1989 to 1993. He was the first holder of the A.C. Baugher Endowed Chair in Chemistry and was granted emeritus status in 2009.

Throughout his distinguished career, Charlie authored numerous professional publications, including an undergraduate textbook on NMR spectroscopy, and secured significant external research funding. He was also the recipient of the John Frederick Steinman Award for Excellence in Research in 1985.

He taught and mentored thousands of students in introductory, physical, and inorganic chemistry and guided undergraduate research and interdisciplinary studies, including astronomy.

Charlie traveled extensively for both work and pleasure, making four trips to Africa and visiting destinations including China, Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the former Soviet Union. He was also an amateur astronomer and photographer, and he built a comprehensive classical music collection spanning many recording formats.

A generous supporter of the College, Charlie established the Sallie K. & Charles D. Schaeffer Chemistry Scholarship and the Schaeffer Equipment Fund, which have supported students for more than three decades. His philanthropy also contributed to key campus facilities, including the chemistry laboratories in Musser Hall, the Anatomy & Physiology Classroom and Laboratory in the Lyet Wing of the Masters Center, and the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness & Well-Being.

Charlie’s legacy will live on in the many lives he touched, and his memory will continue to inspire.

View Charles D. Schaeffer, Jr.’s obituary. The life and legacy of Dr. Charles Schaeffer will be honored at a later date. Additional details will follow.

Gifts in memory of Charlie may be made to Elizabethtown College, Institutional Advancement, 1 Alpha Drive, Elizabethtown, PA 17022. Please note “Schaeffer Memorial” on the memo line or online in support of Chemistry and Biochemistry.