YOUNGSTOWN/WARREN, Ohio – During his lifetime, Dr. Richard (Rick) Shale, longtime English professor at YSU, history enthusiast and dedicated philanthropist, invested time to thoughtfully plan what would happen to his trust and assets after his passing.
With his family’s deep roots in the Mahoning Valley, Shale embraced the local community and culture, celebrating its nuanced history and taking advantage of the many enriching events and activities all around the Valley. He contributed much of his time, many talents and personal wealth to a large swathe of organizations and initiatives during his lifetime, but while history played a huge role in Shale’s life, he also saw the benefit of planning for future support of those initiatives.
“Rick began planning for future gifts long before most of us do,” says Shari Harrell, president of the Community Foundation. “He knew that he wanted to continue supporting the many organizations and initiatives that impacted his daily life and saw having a plan as a necessity to ensure that would happen.”
courtesy of YSU Archives
Over time, Shale crafted a blueprint where several organizations would receive future gifts from his estate, which totaled more than $6 million when he passed away in 2022.
Four of the recipients are local organizations – Butler Institute of American Art, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, Mahoning Valley Historical Society and Youngstown State University Foundation.
“Rick Shale was a remarkable man. Generous and proud of his Youngstown associations, Rick’s good work can be revealed in so many community projects,” says Dr. Louis Zona, executive director and chief curator of The Butler Institute of American Art. “No project was too small for Rick’s guiding hand. He loved the Butler and was a member of the Butler Docent program, an organization that he loved so much. But most of all he was a friend to so many of us. We miss him greatly.”
At the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, the Rick Shale Fund was established at the end of June with a distribution from the Rick Shale Trust of just over $3.7 million.
“We worked with Rick for many years, making sure that we understood what his vision was for the fund here at CFMV and how that fund could support the community he valued so dearly,” says Harrell.
Shale laid out five broad areas of interest for the fund – local history, the arts, parks, education and social services. The Rick Shale Fund will begin making grants in the first quarter of 2024, with open applications being accepted through CFMV’s General Grant Cycle.
“Dr. Shale touched the lives of countless students at YSU. During his career he was recognized with three distinguished Professor awards and upon retirement received the University’s Heritage award,” details Paul McFadden, president of the Youngstown State University Foundation. “His legacy will live on for generations through his most generous bequest that will support scholarships, and provide annual funding for The English Festival, The YSU Theater Department and WYSU-FM.”
Mahoning Valley Historical Society’s gift will be part of the foundation of a capital campaign now being organized to expand and improve MVHS facilities and programs.
“Rick Shale was a longtime MVHS member and friend, and after his retirement from teaching became a dedicated and engaged Board member and trustee of the B.F. Wirt Trust,” says Bill Lawson, executive director of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society. “He was extraordinary in that he was able to give generously of his time, talents and treasure consistently and in equal measures. Everyone at MVHS misses Rick, and we’re honored and touched to receive his continued generosity through an estate bequest.”
To honor all of his thoughtful planning and foresight, Rick Shale was selected as the 2023 recipient of the Legacy Award presented by the Mahoning-Shenango Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. His award will be celebrated by many who knew him at the local National Philanthropy Day event on November 16.
Shale also designated gifts to Phi Kappa Phi Foundation, Inc. and Ohio Wesleyan University, both outside of the Mahoning Valley.
The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley strives to be a leader and advocate for strategic philanthropy, partnering with donors to anchor a permanent and growing endowment and making investments in the Mahoning Valley that improve the quality of life for all residents. The Community Foundation is the only local foundation with certification from the Community Foundation National Standards Board.
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- (L-R) Paul McFadden, president of the YSU Foundation; Scott Schulick, senior vice president of investments at Stifel, friend and advisor to Rick; Janice Elias, B.F. Wirt Trust trustee with Rick; Casey Krell, incoming president of Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley; Suzanne Fleming, B.F. Wirt Trust trustee with Rick; Bill Lawson, executive director of Mahoning Valley Historical Society; Elayne Bozick, B.F. Wirt Trust trustee with Rick; Gary Dyer, former colleague at YSU and good friend of Rick; Rebecca Davis, development director at The Butler Institute of American Art.
Photo courtesy of Siobhan Bacha at the YSU Foundation. ↩︎