Harry G. Shaffer

Harry G. Shaffer is Professor Emeritus of the Economics Department at the University of Kansas. He was born on August 28, 1919, in Vienna, Austria. Fluent in German, Shaffer served in World War II, in which he acted as a translator. He has produced one popular book called "American Capitalism and the Changing role of Government". He has also written a small piece called "Two peas in a pod: Communism and Fascism." He has taught at the University of Kansas for 51 years after leaving the University of Alabama. He is one of the most popular professors at KU. He teaches ECON 104, which is the introduction to economics course. The course attracts about 500 students every semester. The Harry Shaffer Fan club in facebook has over 700 members. He has about 11 books to his name.

Personal life

Harry G Shaffer was born in Vienna, Austria. He left his native country at the age of 18 in 1938. He lived in Cuba for 2 years while his US immigration visa was pending. He then served the U.S Army intelligence during World War II as a German translator. After the war, the G.I. Bill of Rights paid for four years of school at New York University. In those four year, He received both bachelors and masters degrees in economics and even completed a course towards his doctorate. He then taught economics at Concord College in Athens, W. Va, for a year and a half. He then moved to the University of Alabama where he taught economics for 6 years.

In 1956, Autherine Lucy was the first black woman to be admitted to the university. About three thousand students protested this admittance of a black woman in the University. The University of Alabama expelled Lucy on charges of defamation after she claimed the University did not provide her adequate protection. Along with 28 other professors, Shaffer left the school as he felt he could no longer honorably be associated with the university. "And thats how KU got lucky enough to get me", Shaffer jokes to about 500 students in his class at the beginning of every semester.

Trivia

* The University Daily Kansan prints on April 26, "Wherever I go, I have people coming to me saying 'Professor Shaffer, I took your course'. Some come to me and say 'Professor Shaffer, my father took your course', only once did I have somebody say 'Professor Shaffer, my grandfather took your course'."
* Professor Shaffer's speaking volume is often inhibited by non-malignant papillomas on his vocal cords that return no matter how many times you remove them. His first surgery was in 1947. He expects his 25th operation to be in the Summer of 2007.
* Professor Shaffer was the recipient of the 2003 Career Achievement Teaching Award.
* Professor Shaffer is married to a former Social Worker from Newport Beach, Betty. Betty drops him off at campus and picks him up after he teaches his class.
* Professor Shaffer is 88 years old, and he does not plan to retire until he absolutely needs to.
* Professor Shaffer marched in protest of the Vietnam war, and the Iraq war. He said he is adamant about equality of all people.

External links

Two Peas in a Pod
* [http://www2.ku.edu/~econ/104/handouts/Two%20Peas%20in%20a%20Pod.pdf]

Harry G. Shaffer – Economics Department
* [http://economics.ku.edu/people/faculty.shtml]

American Capitalism and the Changing role of Government
* [http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/author/S/Harry_G._Shaffer.aspx]