James M. Shuart
Hofstra Football/Men's Lacrosse (1950-53)
Hofstra President (1976-2001)
When you think of the individuals who were responsible for the growth of Hofstra University in the last 75 years, Dr. James M. Shuart would be one of the first names that would pop into anyone's mind.
Hofstra Athletics was just one part of that growth.
When Shuart enrolled at Hofstra in 1949, the University was still less than 15 years old, and a third of that time had fallen during World War II. He played on both the football and men's lacrosse teams, which both were still in their infancies, and helped lead both programs to new heights, essentially putting the first bricks down in the foundation for the school's athletic department.
His impact on the field in his comparatively brief athletic career was clearly evident. In his first year as a player in 1950, Hofstra Football went 2-6. In 1951, Shuart was named a captain and the team improved to 6-2-1. In 1952, again with Shuart as a captain, the football team had a extremely impressive 8-1 record.
The Men's Lacrosse team, which started in 1949 when Shuart was a senior in high school, also went from 4-7 in his first varsity season in 1951, to a combined 23-5-1 in 1952 and 1953 in his final two years. Shuart essentially started his athletic career with two programs that had almost no history, and left them in much better shape to build for the future.
Three years of varsity athletics competition (freshmen were ineligible at the time) were only a small part of Shuart's 50-year association with Hofstra. Yet those three years clearly had a big influence.
"Even as his career progressed, he always remembered how much his athletic experience helped him become the person and the total educator that he was," said Hofstra Softball Coach Bill Edwards, who joined the athletic department in the middle of Shuart's tenure in 1990. "I think he wanted every student-athlete to have the same great experience that he had, and learn the same life lessons they could carry with them into adulthood."
Following graduation, Shuart spent two years in the U.S. Army, and returned to the University to earn a master's degree in 1962. He later earned a Ph.D. from New York University in 1966.
He first joined the Hofstra administration as an admissions officer in 1959 and subsequently served in various positions until 1971. At that time he was appointed commissioner of social services for Nassau County, a post he held for three years until becoming deputy Nassau County executive. He also served as member of the Hofstra board of trustees from 1973 through 1975 and returned to the University full-time in 1975 as vice president for administrative services.
After becoming Hofstra president in 1976, he served for 25 years, retiring in 2001. Shuart established a plan that focused on quality in academics and campus resources. Under his direction Hofstra became a prestigious and successful institution of higher learning, recognized by its peers through various prominent academic accreditations. The University was also recognized through other important related designations for academic support. Among these was the acceptance of the athletic program into the Colonial Athletic Association and the Atlantic 10 Football Conference.
During the later stages of Shuart's tenure as president, Hofstra was able to greatly enhance its athletic facilities and its visibility. Shuart oversaw the expansion of Hofstra Stadium (which was later renamed James M. Shuart Stadium in honor of his service to the University), and the construction of Hofstra Arena (now called the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex) and the Hofstra Softball Stadium.
In addition to providing an impressive home to the Hofstra Basketball and Wrestling programs, the Mack Sports Complex has also been used for many academic ventures, including noteworthy events such as Presidential Conferences, and the third 2008 presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Of course, it wasn't as if athletics was the only department that was flourishing. The entire university grew from 49 buildings in 1976 to approximately 130 buildings in 2001. Even now, if you stroll around campus and pass a building, there's probably a 2-in-3 chance that Shuart had a hand in getting that building off the ground.
The physical structures were the most visible aspect of Shuart's influence, but naturally there was much more to the growth in the athletic department that was taking place behind the scenes
"When I interviewed at Hofstra, they explained their five-year plan to me," said Edwards. "It definitely intrigued me, because I knew it would give us a chance to be competitive. It showed a university commitment that came from the top. Not only did they stick with it, and provide us with some of the scholarships and resources we needed to succeed, but during Shuart's final years our new stadium was built, which was the finishing touch to help us reach the level that we're at today."
Shuart also helped develop an innovative partnership with SportsChannel New York, as another way of using athletics to promote academic ventures (and vice versa). Hofstra paid for the air time for a series of televised sporting events on SportsChannel, and as part of the agreement, Shuart would produce a "President's Report" to air during halftime, highlighting many of the academic achievements at Hofstra.
"I think he understood the total package," said Edwards. "Athletics was just one way to get Hofstra University's name out there, and he tried to use it to the best of his advantage."
Inded, as Hofstra continued to grow athletically, including up the ranks of intercollegiate football (from Division III to Division I-AA), and into the NCAA Tournaments for men's basketball and men's lacrosse, Hofstra received more and more visibility on the airwaves, and the entire Hofstra University profile was raised as well.
Hofstra Athletics has continued to grow in the last decade, adding new state-of-the-art facilities for soccer and field hockey, and expanding the baseball stadium. The same way that football and men's lacrosse teams continued to grow after Shuart graduated and helped put down a strong foundation, Hofstra University as a whole has continued to build on his foundation after he retired.
And, from time to time, he still manages to enjoy the fruits of his 25-year labor.
"Every year, when the weather warms up, we see him and his wife Marjorie, who played softball here, in the same spot in the bleachers enjoying the games," said Edwards. "It is so rewarding to see someone of his stature still taking an interest in a program that he was so instrumental in building."
In fact it is safe to say that just about everyone on campus - in the athletics department or not - owes a bit of gratitude to James M. Shuart.
"I feel personally indebted to him for the opportunity to coach at Hofstra University," said Edwards. "He's a very special person in my life."
(Note: the top three in the Hofstra 75th Anniversary Greatest Individuals vote will be revealed next week from Monday-Wednesday).
