Hall of Fame
Donald F. Schalk ’72 – Class of 1999
Knowing where you want to be…
The first, most import, and most often overlooked step in getting anywhere is to know where you want to be.
This young man arrived on the Heights as a transfer student in the second semester of his freshman year. In spite of a small frame that some thought might disappear behind standard-issue tools of ignorance, he claimed to belong behind the plate. But most importantly: he loved the game of baseball. He played it with enthusiasm, seriousness and a passion for winning.
Where he wanted to be was in the Dolphin lineup. And the characteristic that sets him apart in baseball and other endeavors is that once he defines a goal, he exerts single-minded effort until he succeeds. His coach recalls, “You had to believe he could play because he believed it so strongly.”
With an occasional opportunity to catch, but more frequent duty in the outfield, he became an integral part of Le Moyne’s baseball resurgence in the 1970s. Squeezing into the bottom of the order on the strength of his defensive skills as a sophomore, by his senior year he had established himself in the leadoff and second slot. He was a contact hitter who clawed his way on base – “Schalk-chalk shots” were the contemporary term for balls slapped down the line with modest authority but excellent placement.
He played through injuries and earned his teammates’ respect for his competitiveness, work ethic and savvy knowledge of the game. “You could rely on him to take care of his business and half of yours,” recalls one.
The love of the game endures: twenty years after graduation, he would play in the Senior Baseball League World Series.
The ability to stake out a goal, develop a plan, and relentlessly pursue it is a valuable commodity in many ways. His successful business career has been built on the ability to work through the most difficult situations with an eye constantly on the mark. It has allowed him to make valuable contributions to community organizations and especially to Le Moyne College and the Gold Wave.
That ability endures as well: a quarter-century after earning his baccalaureate, he will complete the Syracuse University Executive M.B.A. program; and with his wife Mary and their sons he has demonstrated the strength that a family can gain from working through tragedy and triumph together.
He would not be denied a spot in the Dolphin lineup, and on the field, in his career, in his service to the college, and in consistently upholding the highest ideals the institution expects from its graduates, he has brought honor to Le Moyne College. Therefore,
Donald F. Schalk ’72 is inducted to the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame
February 6, 1999.
