No one has to look far on the Ball State University campus to see the legacy John Fisher left at this school.
There are no recently constructed buildings named after him. No popular statues or monuments to immortalize him. Few current students at the university probably knew anything about the man.
However, Fisher has touched the lives of every Ball State student - even if they were completely unaware of it.
Fisher, 93, died Sunday after a long battle with leukemia, but not without leaving behind a legacy of philanthropy to Ball State that can be almost unmatched in the university's 91-year history.
As one of the school's largest benefactors, Fisher's $2 million donation in 1988 made to possible for the university to finance the construction on Worthen Arena. His $4.35 million donation in 2000 also created the Fisher Distinguished Professorship in Wellness and Gerontology and eventually led to the expansion of Schuemann Stadium to include a training complex that bares his name.
In addition to his financial contributions, Fisher - the former president and chairperson of the Ball Corporation - was the chairman of the Ball Brothers Foundation until his death during the weekend. He also held committee positions in three national fundraising campaigns in the last 20 years - Wings for the Future, Above and Beyond and Ball State Bold: Investing in the Future - that raised more than $300 million for the university.
The list of awards Fisher received from the university was almost as numerous as his contributions - ranging from an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1972 to the President's Medal of Distinction in 1998.
Fisher was a man who helped make the Ball State campus what it is today.
Every building on campus has benefited from either Fisher's generosity or a financial campaign he helped lead. Walking around the campus it is impossible not to see the legacy Fisher left - you just have to be looking for it.
With students being on campus throughout the year, it's easy to become so used to these buildings that they blend into the background of everyday life. It's even easier to take for granted the time, money and effort spent it took transform this university from a small teacher's college to one of the largest colleges in Indiana.
The names of Ball State buildings -¡- Burkhardt, Bell, Emens, Pittenger - roll off everyone's tongues, but what is forgotten is the people who these buildings were named after. Almost every building on campus, though, benefitted from people like Fisher who gave so much to the university.
Along with his contributions to Ball State's campus, his generosity may be even more significantly felt by the Ball State athletics department.
Fisher never played a down for the football team or scored a point for the men's basketball team, but the direct and indirect effect he left on the department is unquestionable.
Helping finance structures such as Worthen Arena allowed the basketball and volleyball teams to move out of an old Irving Gym in the 1990s and play in a venue more suitable for Division I athletics. The Fisher Training Complex has also given Ball State athletes a top-notch workout facility.
Fisher's name will never appear in Ball State's record book, but his contributions made the Cardinals' athletics department what it is today.
In addition, these types of buildings and his contributions throughout campus have made Ball State a more appealing school to high school students.
Fisher lived a full life. Following his death, though, people should not forget what he meant to the university and what he meant to the Muncie community.
When Ball State fans walk into Schuemann Stadium for the football team's season opener against the University of North Texas on Sept. 3 or Worthen Arena for the women's volleyball team's home opener against IPFW on Sept. 4, most people's thoughts will be on the upcoming game. However, once you get your seat in either venue, take a moment to think about Fisher and what he did for this university.
Without him you may not be sitting in those seats.
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