Wabash College Athletics

Warren Wright Shearer, known to genera­tions of Wabash men as "Butch", came to Wabash College from Indianapolis Shortridge High School in 1932, and from that time until his death in 1989, no mat­ter where his life took him, he never re­ ally left Wabash College. No one has served the College in so many ways - teacher, department chairman, Dean, Act­ing President, Director of Development, Class Agent - but these titles are only the symbols of a lifetime dedi­cated to the College. No aspect of the College escaped the attention of Warren Shearer. The quality of the faculty, the quality of the student body, the rigor of the curriculum and the quality of any publication, all were subject to his scrutiny, and a misplaced comma was sure to bring an admonitory call to the unfortunate perpetrator. In no area of the College were Warren's concern and love for the College more apparent than in his support of the athletic program. It began when, as a stu­dent, he was student manager and senior manager of the football team, and it never flagged. As faculty member and administrator, he gave to the athletic program the same rigorous thinking and the same high standards he imprinted on the program. He believed in vigorous competition with schools of similar academic and athletic standards. He believed in true amateurism and in financial aid based only on need. His philosophy prepared Wabash for an easy transition to Division III athletics. His interest and enthusiasm were not limited to the intercollegiate competition. He believed in a vigorous intramural program and he was a constant goad to faculty participation. A markedly crooked finger was mute testimony to his long service as catcher on faculty softball teams. It was widely rumored that as Dean, when interviewing prospective faculty members, his first question was, "What position do you play?" The College has twice recognized the debt it owed to the dedicated service of Warren Wright Shearer, by the Alumni Award of Merit in 1958 and by the honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, in 1967.