Katahdin Art Project "A beautiful way to show your support" |
The Earl Shaffer Foundation The Earl Shaffer Foundation was formed to facilitate the publication of Earl's literary works and to pass along to future generations the "wilderness" values which he represented. Earl's manuscripts, both prose and poetry, are largely unpublished and will require many years to prepare for publication. Many photographs and slides are available from his Army career, as well as those he took on the Appalachian Trail in 1948 and 1965. The Foundation recently completed making Earl's slide show of the historic 1948 hike available on DVD. All of these items and many more will be offered at a moderate price through this website as well as other sources. All proceeds from this effort will be administered by the Board of Directors and distributed to organizations or individuals according to Earl's directions. Some of the charities being considered for awards when available are: The Salvation Army, The Wilderness Society, Pennsylvania State University Forestry School, ALDHA, and the Appalachian Trail Museum. At the present time, the Board of Directors consists of the following: John H. Shaffer, retired, member of ALDHA and brother of Earl; David Shaffer, businessman, owner of Superior Lock and Safe Co., avid outdoorsman, nephew of Earl; Daniel Shaffer IV, President of Shaffer Associates Inc., international business consultants, nephew of Earl; Nancy Shaffer Nafziger, retired teacher, niece of Earl; David Donaldson, teacher, thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail as "Spirit of '48", finished the Anniversary Hike with Earl in 1998; Chris "Spur" Bagby, three-time A.T. thru-hiker, businessman, owner of Highland Hardware, Inc.; Sanne “Ready” Bagby, A.T. 2000-miler, Triple Crowner, and retired Red Cross administrator; Larry Luxenberg, A.T. thru-hiker, businessman, author of "Walking the Appalachian Trail" and first President of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society; and Mack “Walcnman” Thorpe, businessman and former A.T. thru-hiker.
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Earl Shaffer Biography
Earl was a native of York County, Pennsylvania. His family moved to a small farm near the Village of Shiloh when he was five years of age. He grew up in this rural environment. His mother, who he lost in his mid-teens to complications from surgery, encouraged him to read and appreciate poetry and literature. He went on to graduate from William Penn High School in 1935. This was during the depression and jobs were hard to find for adults much less a young man just out of high school. He worked on area farms and hunted and trapped for furs in the winter. Later, he gained employment as a carpenter.
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More about Earl: Earl Shaffer Foundation: http://www.earlshaffer.com Earl Shaffer's New York Times Obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/12/us/earl-shaffer- Earl Shaffer Exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: http://americanhistory.si.edu/ |