So it's really appropriate, I think, that the first chair be named after him. They will name it in memory of a loved one who had an interest in the topic, such as the Byker Chair, named after Senator Gary R. Byker, President Byker's father, which is for teaching and scholarship in reformed Christian political, economic and social thought. One case in point is the Spoelhof Chair, which is designed to bring professors to campus for a short term, with the hope that they will stay. Recipients of the Spoelhof endowment include Dr. Helen Sterk of the CAS department, Steven Evans from the Philosophy department, Janel Curry, professor of Geography and Environmental studies and current holder of the chair, Daniel Bays of the History department. These professors have instituted such programs as Gender Studies and Asia Studies.
Professors typically fill the chair for one or two years.
It made me feel like I was a citizen of the college, not just a professor in a department, but someone who had something to offer to the whole school. I took that really seriously. Aside from the prestige of holding the chair, there are also other perks. The reduced class load entails teaching two classes a semester and no interim. Chair holders also receive a summer stipend despite not teaching a class over the summer.