Former state Sen. Tim Shaffer has donated $1 million for Butler County's Community College's “premier” registered nursing program.

The donation, which was announced Wednesday, will create The Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health. Shaffer is a retired attorney and district judge who served 16 years as a state senator representing the city of Butler and Butler Township.

Combined with last September's $1 million donation from Janice Phillips Larrick, Shaeffer's gift will allow the expansion of BC3's registered nursing program by helping to build a proposed $10 million, state-of-the-art nursing and allied health facility.

Shaffer's donation will establish The Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health, to be located within the proposed Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building planned for the south side of BC3's main campus in Butler Township.

The $1 million donations from Shaffer and Larrick follow those of John L. Wise and family in September 2016 and of Robert R. Heaton in July 2014.

To learn more about this story, read Thursday's Butler Eagle.