Alfred M. Chapman

Alfred McCrea Chapman was born at the Flower Hospital in New York City on June 23, 1936. He was the only child of Alfred Madison Chapman and Sarah McCrea.

The Chapmans resided at the Essex House in New York City and were members of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Young Alfred attended kindergarten at Friends Seminary in New York. In 1940, his parents purchased a farm in Upper Makefield Township, Washington's Crossing, PA. Alfred's early interests included native American history, camping, canoeing, archery and horseback riding. He enjoyed reading books about the American West. He attended summer camps and later worked summer jobs as a camp counselor and lifeguard at several camps in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire.

Alfred was a member of the St. Thomas Episcopal Boys Choir in New York and attended the choir school, graduating with honors in 1950. While there, he won the school scholarship award, the American Legion medal on his essay "Americanism" and the Mayflower Compact Award from the Mayflower Society for excellence in American History. He earned the Rector's prize for overall contribution to the choir school, was voted best all-around athlete and was salutatorian at graduation exercises. He also served as head prefect in his senior year and was editor-in-chief of the school paper.

In 1950, Alfred was admitted to the Lawrenceville Preparatory School in Lawrenceville, NJ. His studies included Latin, French and U.S and classical history. He won the school's First Form French Prize in 1950 and 1951. He played varsity soccer but was recognized for his exceptional skills as a swimmer. He was on the varsity swimming team beginning his sophomore year and qualified as an All-American the following year. In 1954 as a senior, he won the New Jersey Prep School title for the 100-yard backstroke. He earned a Major L in soccer and in swimming and was a member of the "L" Club recognizing exceptional student-athletes. He was also a Chapel Usher and a member of The Open Door Committee, The Lawrence, The Lit, The Periwig Club, The School Camp and the Inquirer's Club promoting open exchange of religious ideas.

Alfred matriculated to Brown University beginning in 1954 with a focus on classical studies. He was a member of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity, served as Student Advisor and was a member of several school clubs including Cammarian Club, Varsity Club and Classics Club. He was captain of the Brown Freshman swimming team and set freshman records in backstroke and individual medley. In his sophomore year he established new school records in these events as a member of the varsity squad, and he became captain in 1956. He set four school records in the individual medley and butterfly events, held the New England intercollegiate record in the 100-yard butterfly and was a first team All-American in 1958. In all, he set 12 new records in Brown and New England intercollegiate swimming events. He also participated on the Brown Varsity soccer team his sophomore year and served as alumni secretary of Theta Delta Chi at Union College in Schenectady, NY where the fraternity was founded. He was elected to the Brown Bears Hall of Fame for swimming in 1976.

Mr. Chapman graduated from Brown in 1958 earning a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilizations. In the summer of 1958, he attended the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece. From 1958 to 1960, he taught Latin and Greek at The Lawrenceville School. He also served as Master of the Davidson House, was faculty advisor to the Archery Club and coached Lower House athletics.

On June 18, 1960, Alfred married the former Betty Lou Leedom, daughter of Carlton and Muriel Leedom at the Yardley Friends Meeting in Yardley, PA.

In the summer of 1960 Mr. Chapman attended the Virgilian Society (school) near Naples, Italy, and later that year began his graduate work at Columbia University, New York, NY where he earned a Master of Science in Latin in 1961. He also served as secretary of the Brown Club at Trenton, NJ.

In 1962 Mr. Chapman became Chairman of the Classical Languages Department at the Maumee Country Day School near Toledo, Ohio. He was President of the Toledo High School Chess League and coached tennis. He played semi-professional soccer with the Bavarian League, served as treasurer and secretary for the Toledo Area Classical Association, and was also a member of the Toledo Chapter of the American Institute of Archaeological Studies. He wrote several published articles including a three-part series titled Teaching "The Aeneid" which appeared in The Classical Outlook in 1966. In 1965 Mr. Chapman's family were the subject of an article published as part of a series of human-interest stories in the Toledo Blade titled "Family Puts Fun in Learning".

While still living in Ohio, Mr. Chapman attended summer classes at the University of Michigan and was later admitted to the University as a doctoral candidate. In November 1966, while working on his thesis in Greek, Mr. Chapman was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was unable to continue his academic studies. Later that year, he received an honorary Master of Arts in Classical Studies from the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies at the University of Michigan.

Following an initial period of inpatient treatment at Mercywood Sanitarium in Ann Arbor, Mr. Chapman took a teaching position at Episcopal Academy in Wynnewood, PA. His family moved to Ardmore, PA in 1967 and were members of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Ardmore. In December of that year, Mr. Chapman experienced a psychotic episode and was treated at the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital. The intensification and severity of his illness prevented him from continuing in his professional capacity. He intermittently continued treatment on an outpatient basis or resided at several institutions between 1967 and 1974 including Danville State Hospital, Norristown State Hospital and various halfway houses and living situations. On at least one occasion he went missing and was picked up as a John Doe before being returned to his residence in Philadelphia. After twelve years of instability, Mr. Chapman was transferred in 1978 to a continuing care facility at Friends Hospital where he finally found a home. He became a permanent resident of the Greystone Program at Friends Hospital in 1989 where he resided for another 30 years. In 2023, Mr. Chapman was transferred to Pennypack Nursing Home in Philadelphia, PA where he spent the remainder of his life.

Mr. Chapman will always be remembered for his tender blue eyes, his durability and his tough demeanor as he endured a near-lifelong battle with a cruel disease. The social graces that were instilled in him at an early age were evident through to the time of his demise. His caregivers who knew him as "Pete" provided a safe and nurturing environment for him over the six decades of his affliction. May we all preserve our memory of him and remember him fondly in our prayers.

Mr. Chapman is survived by his three children, Henry, Katharine, and Karen, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A private memorial service and interment at Makefield Friends Meeting in Newtown, PA will be held in June.