He did not expect to ever move from Ohio.
She did not expect any more schooling beyond her bachelor’s degree.
Yet to our benefit, and with our utmost gratitude, Wil and Betsy Fife did the unexpected by moving in 1971 to come to the newly created Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis. With a PhD from Ohio State University and fellowships at Harvard and Columbia, Wil served as the long-term first chair of the newly merged Purdue and Indiana University extension center chemistry departments. These departments, geographically separated by some five miles, each had just three or so faculty members, each had its own vision, its own campus, and its own students. Very little, if any, research was done, and of course no research equipment was available, but most importantly there was no policy regarding faculty work at the newly created IUPUI. Wil saw great potential for the department not just in research, but in advances in teaching techniques as well; he dreamed of hiring more faculty, and he hoped to soon physically combining the separate departments into one.
Drs. Wil and Betsy Fife
Looking beyond the short-term, Wil took these two fledgling separate small departments, with motivated but leader-less faculty and put his mind, heart and soul into building a stellar department. He spoke with each faculty member individually, negotiated with the administration, ordered equipment, and, while not required at first, he did encourage faculty to do research. Wil and Betsy invited the faculty to their house for informal get-togethers. Soon faculty did not feel threatened, in fact collaborated, and began to publish research articles.
Meanwhile Betsy was busy with her three small children, but her keen mind was restless and she began looking for ways to expand her intellectual horizons.
She started taking seminar courses at IUPUI, obtained her Master’s degree, and soon was given the opportunity to work at Riley Hospital for Children where she became a consultant in mental health. With the mentorship of a research professor, she applied for and received a national grant. Motivated and encouraged by Wil and their children, she then became a doctoral student in sociology at Bloomington whereto for five years she travelled four times per week. For her PhD she studied families dealing with children with leukemia and the parents’ tendency to be overprotective.
What happened to her earlier decision not to go beyond her bachelor’s degree? She says what happened is Wil; he changed her, “Wil was the change.” He talked about education being the way out of poverty. Through Wil she met a different caliber people who spoke of wide ranging ideas and ways of helping others. Her world view was expanded and forever changed.
And how was the decision made to come to Indiana? While still in Ohio Wil came home one evening with the news that Indiana was inviting him to an interview, but he had already told them that he was not interested. She insisted that he should at least go and see the place. So he did. She changed Wil, in fact, she disrupted Wil’s life, who in turn disrupted the lives of his extended family who were so well anchored in Ohio.
After a decade of administration, and now freed of administrative responsibilities, Wil did the hard thing of getting back into research eventually publishing 70 papers and obtaining patents for Indiana University. Wil and Betsy talked about leaving money for the chemistry department. Talking with their children, who were now self-sufficient, and consulting with their TIAA advisor, they made the decision to donate $1.5 million to endow a chair position in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Unfortunately, Wil will be unable to see the fruit of this major endowment as he prematurely lost his life to Parkinson’s disease.
Partha Basu, the current chair of the chemistry department, says: “We thank Betsy for her generosity and Wil for guiding the department in the early stage. This planned gift will make a tremendous impact in attracting top quality faculty in the department and that will have a long-term positive impact in the quality of research and education.”
Dr. Wilmer and Dr. Betsy Fife did the unexpected, thereby making the chemistry department the unexpected beneficiary.
By: Erwin Boschmann