WEST LONG BRANCH — During a recent three-hour standoff in Long Branch between authorities and a man waving a machete, one Twitter user suggested it was ?time for Admiral Gaffney to get back into action and take this guy down.?
Let student and alumnae chatter about him on social media tell it, Retired Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, who steps down this week as Monmouth University president, is alternately viewed as superhero or father figure.
One user on the social media platform suggested in a recent tweet that Gaffney, 67, who served in the post for 10 years, be ?re-elected.? Others express love for the university?s outgoing leader.
But Gaffney ? for more than three decades ? has been leading his troops. He said his time at Monmouth University was no different.
?Why would you do the job, if you didn?t like the students?? Gaffney asks. ?They are why we are here.?
If Gaffney is a sort of superhero, then his super power might be ?The Gaffney Grip? or ?The Gaffney Shake,? as Gaffney?s distinctive handshake is known around campus and the community. Some people say they train before they meet him but few say they are able to stand their ground as he clasps your hand while simultaneously pulling you closer by way of your elbow.
?He wants to show you he means what he says and then he grabs your elbow,? Lillian C. Borrone said of the handshake. Borrone served with Gaffney on the U.S. Ocean Policy Commission and suggested he take the Monmouth position. ?It (the handshake) is a good way to show you respect and to steer you in the right direction.?
That is Gaffney?s operating mantra, say his friends and colleagues: to get respect, you need to give respect.
?He has wonderful relationships with the trustees, faculty and, most importantly, the students,? Borrone said. ?They see these great qualities of loyalty, integrity and commitment and his ability to deliver on all these things.?
Gaffney received $639,060 from the university and another $58,082 from the university and other sources for a total of $697,142, according to 2010 IRS records, the most recent available for Monmouth University.
Gaffney left his mark on the suburban private campus, changing it in virtually every way, from additional programs and partnerships with international schools to campus additions such as the $57 million multipurpose activity center that was constructed debt-free.
?I think things are getting a little bit better every day,? Gaffney said. ?Financially, we are solid.?
Gaffney is devoted to the university?s sports teams, even taking over as announcer of its track and field events.
?Here is a man who has to have been the most accessible anywhere as a college president for the media when it came to discussing his school?s athletic programs,? said Tony Graham, the recently retired Asbury Park Press reporter who has covered Monmouth athletics on and off since 1969.
?From a reporter?s viewpoint but also from a personal one, he was special,? Graham said.
Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider recalled how Gaffney dove in to help resolve an off-campus housing issue that a decade ago troubled many city residents.
?It was his style to do things with a big grin,? the mayor said. ?You know, he went to the naval academy, served his country overseas but when you talked to him, he was a pretty down-to-earth guy.?
His student-centered philosophy often was introduced when each fall, Gaffney, in short sleeves and casual dress, appeared at the dorms to help incoming students drag in boxes of belongings, sometimes to the puzzlement of parents. Gaffney rarely disclosed his identity.
?You are the heroes here,? he said to graduates in May.
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