Honoring the Legacy
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“He will truly be missed,” Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple said in a letter addressing the college community after Schiffman’s death Aug. 5, 2015. Schiffman resided in St. Louis, Missouri, and died at the age of 99. In 2000, Schiffman made a decision that would forever change Columbia College. To honor his late wife, Althea, he bestowed $1.5 million to the college to establish an endowed chair in ethics, religion and philosophy, and a lecture series that would draw noted speakers to the college. It was the largest contribution by a living donor in Columbia College history.
John A. Schiffman Jr., Honorary ’08 and Althea Whitcraft Schiffman ’41 were lifelong supporters of Columbia College.
“It is my hope that through the endowed chair and lecture series, Columbia College will become a force in carrying forward the message to students that integrity, honesty, fairness and compassion are just as important as intellect,” Schiffman said upon making his gift.
Schiffman formerly was employed by the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of St. Louis and spent a lifetime devoted to numerous philanthropic and volunteer endeavors, including the Disciples of Christ Christian Church, Optimist Club International, the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America and the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II. In addition to his support of Columbia College, he made contributions to the National Benevolent Association and Webster Groves Christian Church, where he was a member for 75 years, and was a volunteer participant in the Washington University Memory and Aging Project. His obituary stated, “He chose optimism and hope, even in the face of adversity, and inspired others to do the same.” Perhaps no one knew this better than his beloved wife of 44 years, Althea Whitcraft Schiffman. Althea
Previous Speakers For The Schiffman Lecture On Ethics In Society Series: 2003
2004
2006
2007
2008
John Kasich, former U.S. Congressman
Arun Gandhi, founder of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Non-Violence and grandson of Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Soledad O’Brien, television journalist and CNN co-anchor
David McCullough, two-time Pulitzer Prizewinning historian
Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas
2005 Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental ethics advocate
2009 Edward James Olmos, actor, producer, director, Hollywood activist