Washington Universitys sports teams are called the Bears. They are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and participate in the University Athletic Association at the NCAA Division III level. The Bears have won 19 NCAA Division III Championships— one in womens Cross country running (2011), one in mens tennis (2008), two in mens basketball (2008, 2009), five in womens basketball (1998–2001, 2010), and ten in womens volleyball (1989, 1991–1996, 2003, 2007, 2009) – and 144 University Athletic Association titles in 15 different sports. The Athletic Department was headed by John Schael for 34 years, who served as Athletic director in the period 1978-2014. The 2000 Division III (NCAA) Central Region winner of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics/Continental Airlines Athletics Director of the Year award, Schael helped orchestrate the Bears athletics transformation into one of the top departments in Division III. Schael was succeeded by Josh Whitman, 2014-2016. The department is now led by Anthony J. Azama.
Question: How many years did John Schael serve as Athletic director?
Answer: 36