 Shafter also served in the California Constitution Convention of 1878 and was on the University of California Board of Regents "ex officio" as President of the California State Agricultural Association.In March 1888, Shafter survived a gunshot at close range.His son, Dr. James Shafter, had sued for a divorce and the wife's brother, angry at the proceedings, confronted the elder Shafter in the San Francisco City Hall.