Donald L McMasters

Donald L. McMasters, age 80, of Bloomington, died Wednesday evening at I.U. Health; Bloomington Hospital. Born on Bastille Day, July 14, 1931 in Crawfordsville, IN, he was the son of Omar and Evelyn (Cole) McMasters. His father was a Wabash College grad (’26) and a high school teacher. His mother was a homemaker. He was raised in Newport, IN where he attended the Methodist church and graduated from Vermillion County High school as valedictorian in 1949. He retired from Indiana University in 1995 where he was an analytical Chemist and Carcinogen and Laboratory Safety Officer. He received his A.B. degree in Chemistry from Wabash College in 1953, and at the behest of Paul McKinney, he joined the Alpha Pi chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity. Encouraged by his mentor, Dr. Haenisch, he went on to obtain his M.S. degree in analytical chemistry in 1955 from the University of North Dakota, and his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1959. He was rewarded for his good work with a variety of graduate and research assistantships including a DuPont Teaching Fellowship in 1957. With degrees in hand he began his climb up the ladder of success. First at Beloit College as assistant professor (1959-1963); next as visiting lecturer at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne (1963-1964); and finally at Indiana University with both the Department of Chemistry (1964-1975), and the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (1975-1995). During his career, Don maintained memberships with the American Chemical Society, Sigma Xi, and Indiana Academy of Science. Additionally, he was certified as a safety professional with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). Don wrote a number of publications, and the Edward L. Haenisch Library Fund of the Wabash Chemistry Department now receives the royalties from experiments he wrote for use with college courses. He has been listed in “American Men and Women in Science”, “Who’s Who in the Midwest”, and “Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans”. After his retirement from I.U., Don continued to pursue full time his enthusiasm for art collecting, travel and volunteerism. Don has donated over 200 pieces of Art to Wabash College, doubling the size of its permanent collection. In addition to his passion for collecting fine art, Don volunteered his time serving as president of the boards of directors of the Bloomington Town Theatre, the Monroe County Arts Complex, and the Bloomington City Arts Commission, and the Bloomington Area Arts Council, where he was the 1999 J C Penney Golden Rule Award for Lifetime of Service recipient. He also served on the board of the I.U. Theatre Circle, and served as chair of the design committees that created the John Waldron Arts Center and restored the Buskirk-Chumley Indiana Theatre in Bloomington to legitimate art and theatre spaces for community and professional performing artists. He served on the board of the I. U. Friends of Art. He was a member of Unity (Masonic) Lodge No. 344, Boy Scouts of America, Eagle Rank, and WonderLab.

He is survived by his domestic partner of 35 years, Randall E. Garratt, of Bloomington and two brothers, Robert D. McMasters (Gloria), of Tucson, Arizona , Omar Dale McMasters (Dixie), of Ames, Iowa, three nephews, three nieces, and several grand nephews and grand nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Shirley Ann McMasters.

There will be no services or visitation at this time. Day Funeral Home in Bloomington is in charge of arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be given to the Herman B Wells Endowment Fund for the Kinsey Institute Library or to Wabash College Fine Art Department.