Born in Washington, Pennsylvania, September 13, 1830, where he attended the common schools, graduating from the Medical Department of the Pennsylvania University. He has received the degrees of A. B., A. M. and M. D. In 1852 he came to Iowa, making his home at Fairfield, in Jefferson County, where he practiced medicine. In 1854 he was one of the organizers of the State Agricultural Society and its first secretary; he served in that capacity at different times for fourteen years, doing very much to make the State fairs successful. In 1862 he was elected to the State Senate to fill the unexpired term of James F. Wilson, elected to Congress. For many years he was secretary and librarian of the Jefferson County Library. During the Civil War he was surgeon of the Board of Enrollment from 1863 to 1865. In 1876-7 Dr. Shaffer was a lecturer at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk where he had taken up his residence. For many years he was a trustee of the Unitarian Society at Keokuk, and later secretary of the board of trustees. The doctor has for many years been a student of natural science, and for twenty-five years has been a promoter of cremation as against earth burial, and is a member of an association pledged to the cremation of their own bodies. During the mature years of his life Dr. Shaffer has been a continuous contributor to the press on a variety of subjects of interest to the public, always working for some worthy purpose.