TO THE EDITOR:
About two weeks ago, my grandfather died.
Dr. Earl Schaefer was born a farmboy in rural Indiana, and died at 90 as an accomplished academic and, along with my wonderful grandmother, at the head of a healthy, successful and thriving family. Along the way, he served in the military during World War II, narrowly avoiding being sent to the Battle of the Bulge where friends of his died, earned a Ph.D., became a pioneer in applying the scientific method to the field of psychology and earned the title of Professor Emeritus at this great university.
He lived a full, good life.
He was a brilliant man, and he taught my brother, my cousins and I much about the world, but what I took most directly from him was a belief in morally-grounded intellectual curiosity. He was a faithful man, a lifelong Catholic, but his faith was not idle. He pursued it as rigorously as he pursued his research, always asking questions. He believed in the capability of a community to do great things as a collective while respecting the lives of individuals. He had a deep belief in the dignity of every human life. These are ugly times, and before his awareness of his surroundings faded, I know he was deeply disturbed by them.
But I remain hopeful — hopeful that we can, as in his vision, find new worlds of knowledge by asking endless questions, and apply them toward the goal of creating strong communities with spiritually-grounded morals, capable of collective work for good, all with a respect for the inherent dignity of every individual human life.
In this community in Chapel Hill, he found many like minds, and I believe this spirit can be kept alive in this town — even as our actions drift from democratic concern for our fellow individuals toward what will best satisfy the masters of our markets. I hope others can find some inspiration in learning this little bit about the inquisitive, compassionate life of Dr. Earl Schaefer.
Sam Schaefer
Class of ‘16
