Dr. Eugene Bernard Chaffee served as the second president of Boise Junior College from 1936 to 1966. An Idaho resident, Chaffee graduated from Boise High School in 1923 and attended the College of Idaho and Occidental College. He received a masters of art in history from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as the the supervisor of music for Meridian schools and the principal of the Ustick school. Boise Junior College first hired him as a history instructor, where he also supervised the men’s physical activities.
The Board of Trustees offered Chaffee the Dean of College position in 1934, which he declined. In 1936, he resigned from the junior college to research his Doctorate in the National Library in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, on May 20, 1936, the Board asked him to reconsider his resignation and to become President. On June 3, 1936 he began his 30-year career as president
Chaffee took a three and a half year leave of absence to serve in the Navy during WWII. He returned as a Lieutenant Commander and resumed his presidential duties on September 15, 1945, only 9 days after his discharge from the Navy. In 1950, he was elected president of the American Association of Junior College, and then the following year was elected to represent Northwestern Junior Colleges in the National Commission of Accrediting.
One of his first objectives as president was to move the college from St. Margaret’s to the Boise Airport. This was the start of his 30 year project of constructing and developing to what the university is now. Many campus buildings were constructed during his time: Administration Building, Student Union, Auditorium, Heating Plant, College Courts, Health Center, Morrison and Driscoll Hall, Liberal Arts building, Science building, Grade Campus School, Vocational and Technical building, Pavilion, Morrison Center, and the Library.
He also oversaw the start of night school. He first developed the program in 1940 and implemented it the following year. Due to the war and draft, night school initially only catered to 16 students. In 1947 when attendance increased to 281 with the return of veteran students.
Chaffee also helped authorize a summer school program which began on April 20, 1942. The first courses offered were General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Beginning and Advanced Shorthand and Typing, Contemporary Civilization, History of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest (which he taught), College Algebra and Trigonometry, Music Fundamentals, Applied Music, Education Curriculum, Intro to Education, Idaho School Law, Civics, and Manual and the Use of Visual Aids in Teaching.
The last few years of Chaffee’s presidency saw the transition from Boise Junior College to Boise College in 1965. On October 5, 1966, he requested a sabbatical leave which subsequently became his retirement. John Barnes took over as president.
Dr. Eugene B. Chaffee died February 5, 1992.
Written by Annika Severts, Spring 2018 intern