YOUNGSTOWN — Longtime Youngstown State University English professor, history enthusiast and local philanthropist Richard “Rick” Shale left the more than $6 million from his estate to six organizations, including four in the Mahoning Valley, it was announced Monday.
“Rick began planning for future gifts long before most of us do,” Shari Harrell, president of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, said. “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.”
The Rick Shale Fund was established at the CFMV 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,” Harrell said.
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.
To reflect his focus areas, other local recipients of his estate are the Butler Institute of American Art, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society and the YSU Foundation. Shale also designated gifts to Phi Kappa Phi Foundation Inc. and Ohio Wesleyan University, both outside of the Mahoning Valley.
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 swath 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, a news release from the CFMV states.
“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,” Louis Zona, executive director and chief curator of the Butler Institute of American Art, said. “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.”
“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,” Paul McFadden, president of the Youngstown State University Foundation, said. “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, he became a dedicated and engaged board member and trustee of the B.F. Wirt Trust,” said 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, 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 Nov. 16.
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