James Leon Chapman

James L. Chapman, emeritus professor of theatre from Seattle Pacific University, died Wednesday, July 31, 2002 in his sleep after a courageous battle with congestive heart failure and complications from diabetes. He was 64 years of age.

Actor, director, dramatist and teacher, Professor Chapman retired from Seattle Pacific in 2000 after 39 years of establishing and leading its liberal arts curriculum in theatre. During his tenure he directed 70 plays at SPU including 10 productions from the pen of William Shakespeare, and from other playwrights such as Anouilh, Agatha Christie, Eugene O'Neill, Peter Shaffer, George Bernard Shaw, Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, and many, many others. He introduced Seattle audiences in 1974 to the musical Godspell by John-Michael Tabelak and Stephen Schwartz and in 1994 performed his own one-man show of Damien by Aldyth Morris.

His productions garnered regional and national acclaim in the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. The theatre program at Seattle Pacific has been cited by the Religion and Theatre Focus group of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education for its excellence under Chapman's leadership. Affectionately known as ?Chaps? by his students, his influence on educational theatre will be sorely missed in Seattle and across the nation.

James Chapman was educated at Cascade College, Portland, OR.; the University of Washington where he received the M.A. in Speech, and the University of Oregon where he completed performance requirements for the theatre doctorate. He received Best Actor of the Year awards while in Eugene.

In addition to his campus activities Professor Chapman shaped the Los Angeles Film Studies program of the Christian College Coalition. He served on the national Association for Theatre in Higher Education as liaison for the religion and theatre focus group. He also served on the inaugurating board of Taproot Theatre, the Seattle professional company.

James Leon Chapman was born October 28, 1937 in Davenport, Iowa, the first child of Ward and Estella Chapman. Professor Chapman is survived by his wife of nearly 42 years, Joyce Chapman; son Alan Chapman of Seattle; son Craig Chapman of Mountlake Terrace; a brother Daniel Chapman of Phoenix, Arizona, and two sisters: Donna Bice of Tacoma and Rebecca Still of Las Vegas, Nevada. His son, Scott Douglas Chapman, preceded him in death in 1994.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 21 at 1 PM in the E. E. Bach Theatre, McKinley Auditorium on the Seattle Pacific campus. Memorials may be sent to the James and Joyce Chapman Theatre Scholarship Fund, Seattle Pacific University Foundation, Seattle, WA 98119.

Interment will be at the Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery.