By: William Pantages ‘13
 
BEREA, OHIO --  Anyone who has been involved in athletics at the NCAA Division III level knows that its program is only as successful as its leader.

Dr. Robert C. Helmer holds a doctorate and a law degree. He is a husband and a father. And as of July 1, 2012, he became the head of a very large family of students, professors, administrators, alumni and friends at the renamed Baldwin Wallace University. And that family includes all of the student-athletes, coaches and support communities behind the Yellow Jackets’ 23 varsity athletic teams. Helmer is simply BWs leader.
 
President Helmer was chosen by a search committee to succeed the retired Richard “Dick” Durst. With 16 years serving in a variety of roles and duties in higher education, he becomes the ninth president in BW history and the first to guide the school under its new university status. Helmer stated that he was very much in favor of the name change.

“The name University will increase our stature both nationally and internationally,” said Helmer. “It also speaks to the depth and diversity of our academic programs. We will still be rooted in the traditional liberal arts, and we also have many other programs that are important to our student and alumni base.”
 
Helmer said he knows his new position brings a different challenge from his previous experience and challenges at Lourdes University, where he worked since 1996, eventually becoming president at the school in Sylvania, Ohio and near Toledo. At BW, Helmer oversees a campus of 4,177 students, 165 faculty members, 28 academic programs with 65 majors and 543 full-time employees.

“It is a tremendous challenge and one that I am already enjoying a great deal,” said Helmer. “My entire family loves BW and Berea and is adjusting well.

“The University community is such a caring group of diverse people who work well together,” continued Helmer. “From our students to our professors to our administrators to our alumni and parents and friends, it has been a good experience and beginning.”
 
At Lourdes, he first served as a professor before taking the job of Vice President of Academic Affairs on his way to becoming president.
 
As Lourdes grew in enrollment and status, President Helmer decided an athletic program was necessary to round out its development. The school eventually launched eight varsity sports, four men’s and four women’s teams. They were baseball, softball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s volleyball.

“We [the administration at Lourdes] felt that athletics could be a vital part of the university, and we were right,” said Helmer. “It took a great deal of work, but it was well worth it.”
 
He has a fond memory of the first Lourdes intercollegiate game – a women’s volleyball match.

“It seemed as if the entire city of Sylvania showed up,” said Helmer. “There was truly an incredible feeling in the gymnasium that night. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work by so many different people. It also was great to see so many smiling faces.”
 
Helmer plans to approach his work at BW based on what he learned during his experience at Lourdes.

“Being there for seven years prior to being named President helped me understand the culture of the University and how things are supposed to be done and how to get them done the right way,” said Helmer. “It was no different when talking about an academic program or an athletic program. We wanted to do it right and we wanted to do it well.
 
Helmer plans to utilize those same principles at Baldwin Wallace.

“We will utilize the very same principles I utilized at Lourdes,” said Helmer. “We really just want each program to make us proud and we will work hard to make it happen.”
 
President Helmer can draw on some personal experiences in his approach to overseeing athletics at BW. Growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, he played tennis and baseball as a youngster.  He is not shy about talking about his athletics exploits.

“I was not always the most athletic kid,” said Helmer. “But I understood the value of athletics. The fact that hard work, dedication and commitment to any endeavor is important. I learned about working with teammates and about teamwork. It was a very beneficial experience and one that I utilize frequently.”

Helmer enjoyed being a part of an athletic community during every step of his education, including during his studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., then at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and then while earning a law degree at the University of Toledo.

“At Notre Dame it was so much fun just to be involved in the culture that was the football team there,” continued Helmer. “So many of the teams at Notre Dame are successful, including the football program. The university is extremely committed to the philosophy of the student-athlete and has a history, just like BW, of having numerous CAPITAL ONE Academic All-Americans.” Even today, President Helmer and his father make an annual trip to see an Irish game in South Bend.
 
As Lourdes began competing in sports, President Helmer said the experience was deeper than just wins and losses.

“Winning is not the most important thing when it comes to athletics,” said Helmer. “Obviously, I would rather win than lose, but it is most important that each student-athlete is very successful in the classroom and graduates within four years.

It is also important that we support our young student-athletes in any way possible,” said Helmer. “That is another very positive part of the rich athletic tradition at Baldwin Wallace. The University has always made a strong commitment to its athletics programs and I intend to continue that tradition.”
 
Away from his office, President Helmer plays piano and spends time with his family. His daughters are very involved in music. He also enjoys watching college sports rather than pro games, but admits that he is becoming more of a Cleveland Browns fans everyday with the team based in Berea and so close to the University. He said he believes he can find fulfillment in serving at BW for many years.
 
But in the short term, his calendar is full.

“I have already marked down all the home events for all our fall sport teams,” continued Helmer. “My two girls loved going to Lourdes athletic events, so I can only imagine more of the same here at BW.

“The University is such a diverse and exciting campus that something is happening almost every day during the school year that is a must-see event,” he said. “We are looking forward to watching, enjoying and being a part of the lives of our students and student-athletes at Baldwin Wallace University.”

Helmer is a simply a leader.

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Asst. SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.