Paul Liebhardt: SAS Alum, Photographer, Author, Teacher, and World Traveler
This is a story about a major gift – the largest individual financial gift Semester at Sea has received in its history.
But it’s also a story about a lot of love and quirkiness, a little bit of mystery, and one very big surprise.
The love Paul Liebhardt had for Semester at Sea, and the love the program and those who knew him best gave right back.
The quirky, caring nature of Paul, and those who loved him for it.
A little bit of mystery – for the way Paul lived and the wealth he’d amassed.
And the staggering estate gift he made to ISE – in an amount that has astonished most everyone.
Paul – a 12-time SAS alum, photographer, author, teacher, and world traveler – passed away in 2025.
A Remarkable Gift
After his passing, Semester at Sea learned that he had left a remarkable $3.6 million gift of his own to the program to establish scholarships in his parents’ names through the Anna and Paul Liebhardt Scholarship Fund. The fund will begin awarding scholarships this fiscal year.
The SAS community had already been honoring Paul’s life and legacy through the Paul Liebhardt Memorial Scholarship Fund, with donors contributing $141,000 in his memory to Semester at Sea.
For those who knew him, Paul’s decision to include SAS in his estate was perhaps unsurprising. The magnitude of the gift, however, was another matter entirely.
“It’s just incredible,” said Bonnie Davis, who sailed on 13 voyages and worked alongside Paul many times. “Paul had this magnetic inner core, and he was just a genuine person. For him to give this much to Semester at Sea – this is really just a reflection of who Paul was,” she said.
John Tymitz, CEO Emeritus of Semester at Sea, knew Paul intended to make an estate gift, but he had no idea of its scale. “I knew Paul wanted to do something for Semester at Sea in his estate, but I had no idea it would be in the millions,” John said. “It’s just absolutely wonderful. He was a rare human being.”
Beth Hoff Blackmer said, “I’m not surprised to learn of Paul’s amazing legacy gift he left to Semester at Sea. He lived a very frugal life, but it is no surprise to me that he did very well financially, because he excelled in all that he did!”
Jonathan Kingston, a National Geographic photographer and SAS Fall 2004 faculty alum, was one of many students shaped by Paul’s philosophies. First Paul’s student at Brooks and later his co-teacher, Jonathan saw the gift as an extension of Paul’s deep sense of family within the organization. “Paul cared so deeply for Semester at Sea,” Jonathan said. “Semester at Sea really was his extended family. He felt very strongly about that.”
Jonathan also had some indication that Paul hoped his eventual gift would be significant – and that he may even have made choices throughout his life to ensure it could be. “He told me many times, you know, ‘I want to grow this as big as I can to leave it to Semester at Sea.’”
Paul’s Legacy: Mysterious but Unmistakably Committed to SAS
That intention from Paul would have been difficult to guess from many outward appearances.
“You would never know that he had wealth from the way Paul lived,” Jonathan said. “He had this small house, and he drove a truck that he had for 15 years. You know, you’d just never know. Because that wasn’t what he was about.”
Marty Greenham had a similar reaction when he learned the news of Paul’s gift. “I guess my first reaction was ‘wow!’ Paul lived a modest life and often claimed he only had a pair of jeans and flip-flops to wear,” Marty said. “Paul was rarely serious in our interactions and one of the funniest people I know. His commitment to the Semester at Sea program was very real throughout his life, so although the gift was huge, it fits the man full of surprises.”
That element of surprise was, for many who knew Paul, just part of who he was.
Randy Lewis met Paul nearly 50 years ago on the Fall 1978 voyage and sailed with him several times thereafter. “In 1939, when talking about Russia, Winston Churchill famously said, ‘It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.’ Churchill could have been speaking about Paul Liebhardt. Indeed, Paul was a puzzle with many layers, and it was always a challenge to determine what was really going on in his head. And that’s the way he liked it – to keep people guessing,” he said.
But beneath all of that mystery, Randy said, Paul’s commitment to Semester at Sea was unmistakable.
“Paul cared deeply about Semester at Sea and all that it stands for – the way it challenges students and opens the world for them to see and experience firsthand the commonality of our humanity. Paul’s gift to Semester at Sea will truly be transformative. The impact it will have on the program and future generations of SAS students cannot be overstated. It is a testament to Paul’s genuine character, values, integrity, and love for the program.”
Angie Miller, one of the founding members of the original SAS Alumni Association Board and Paul’s work-study student on the Spring 1981 voyage, believes Paul may also have appreciated the surprise his gift would create – and the example it could set for others.
“I think he knew that the shock value of just being able to give a gift like that would provide its own. I’m sure he knew it would instill in other people the thought of what they can do with their lives and legacy.” – Angie Miller
SAS Home Office Team Expresses Gratitude
For the SAS home office team, Paul’s extraordinary donation – along with the generosity of those who have honored him with gifts of their own – comes with immense gratitude.
“We are incredibly grateful for this gift from Paul,” said Heather Wisniewski, ISE’sVice President of Advancement. “And we are thankful for those who have given in his honor of who Paul was. It’s apparent that Paul radiated the Semester at Sea spirit, and he also impacted so many people. We’re thrilled to be able to offer scholarships in his and his parents’ honor.”
Semester at Sea is also planning a display aboard the ship in the coming years featuring some of Paul’s many books and photos, along with quotes about his life and legacy.
In the end, Paul’s story with Semester at Sea has come full circle. He loved the program, and Semester at Sea loved him right back. Now, that circle will continue to expand through the countless future voyagers who will be able to set sail because of his lasting generosity – carrying pieces of Paul’s quirky, caring, magnetic, and sometimes mysterious spirit with them around the world for SAS generations to come.
