David C. Chapman
Encyclopedia
David Carpenter Chapman (9 August 1876 - 26 July 1944) was an American
soldier, politician
, and business leader from Knoxville, Tennessee
who led the effort to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
in the 1920s and 1930s. Mount Chapman
(in the park) and Chapman Highway (the section of U.S. Route 441
in South Knoxville
), are named in his honor.
from 1895 to 1897, but did not graduate. Despite not graduating, Chapman did play football
for Tennessee.
, Chapman served as a Second Lieutenant
in the Third Tennessee Volunteer Infantry and was the Aide-de-Camp
to Brigadier General
L.W. Colby. When the United States entered World War I
, Governor Thomas Clark Rye
selected Chapman to reorganize East Tennessee National Guard, now part of the Tennessee Military Department
. Chapman later became Colonel in the Fifth Tennessee Regiment, later renamed to Fourth Tennessee Regiment, before resigning on 20 November 1918.
), became involved in the effort to create a national park in the Great Smoky Mountains
. Additionally, Chapman was also active in various social clubs, civic clubs, and fraternal organizations in the Knoxville area.
appointed Chapman as East Tennessee representative to the Tennessee State Park & Forestry Commission, an appointment that came with the urging of the Smoky Mountains Conservation Association. The association voted to add the word "Great" to their name, giving rise to Great Smoky Mountains as the official and full name of the mountain range where the park would be located. Negotiations started as early as 1925, which was estimated to cost US$
10 million (US$ at 2008 prices) and involve 6,000 private property
owners, including large timber
companies that owned most of the land. Chapman did most of the negotiations for the land purchases, even as he raised money to buy more parcels of the park. In 1927, the legislatures of North Carolina
and Tennessee
appropriated
US$2 million (US$ at 2008 prices.) each while other donations came from individuals, groups, and school children who gave their pennies. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
was even persuaded by Chapman and National Park Service
Assistant Director Arno Cammerer to donate US$5 million (US$ at 2008 prices.) to ensure the park's success.
Two years later, the State of Tennessee created the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountain National Park Commission in order to purchase land for the proposed park. This land was then turned over to the United States federal government
for use as a national park. Chapman was appointed the first commissioner, serving until 1932, but was retained as a member when a new commission was appointed later that year. Chapman and the temporary commissioner, George Roby Dempster
, once engaged in a fist fight over an audit
that charged US$11067 (US$ at 2008 prices.) had been spent by the new commission in the last quarter of 1932 to purchase only 0.4 acre (0.1618744 ha). Tennessee Governor Hill McAlister
abolished the Park Commission and transferred its responsibilities to the Tennessee Park and Forestry Commission after the Tennessee Senate
approved in April 1933.
The park was officially established on 15 June 1934. President of the United States
Franklin D. Roosevelt
officially dedicated the park on 2 September 1940 with Chapman, the "Father of the Park", in attendance.
in Knoxville and is buried at Highland Memorial Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier, politician
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and business leader from Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
who led the effort to establish the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
in the 1920s and 1930s. Mount Chapman
Mount Chapman
Mount Chapman is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains, located in the Southeastern United States. It has an elevation of 6,417 feet above sea level. While the mountain is located deep within the Great Smokies, the Appalachian Trail crosses its eastern slope, coming to within of the summit...
(in the park) and Chapman Highway (the section of U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
in South Knoxville
South Knoxville
South Knoxville is the section of Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, that lies south of the Tennessee River. It is concentrated along Chapman Highway , Alcoa Highway , Maryville Pike , Sevierville Pike, and adjacent roads, and includes the neighborhoods of Lindbergh Forest, Island Home Park, Old Sevier,...
), are named in his honor.
Early life
Chapman was born in Knoxville to John Ellis and Alice Young Chapman. He attended the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
from 1895 to 1897, but did not graduate. Despite not graduating, Chapman did play football
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
for Tennessee.
Military career
In the Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
, Chapman served as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the Third Tennessee Volunteer Infantry and was the Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
L.W. Colby. When the United States entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Governor Thomas Clark Rye
Thomas Clark Rye
Thomas Clarke Rye was governor of the U.S. state of Tennessee from 1915 to 1919. He was a native of Benton County, Tennessee.-Biography:...
selected Chapman to reorganize East Tennessee National Guard, now part of the Tennessee Military Department
Tennessee Military Department
The Tennessee Military Department is an executive division within the Executive Branch of Tennessee State Government with four major commands....
. Chapman later became Colonel in the Fifth Tennessee Regiment, later renamed to Fourth Tennessee Regiment, before resigning on 20 November 1918.
Civic leader
Chapman's father, John, began a wholesale drug company in Knoxville which David took over after his father's death. In 1910 and 1911, Knoxville hosted the Appalachian Expositions, in which Chapman served on the Board of Directors for both events. The purpose of both expositions was to raise awareness of natural resources of the Southern Appalachian region in the United States. Chapman, as a leader of the "Appalachian Club" (a recreational society for people with summer homes in ElkmontElkmont, Tennessee
Elkmont is a region situated in the upper Little River Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains of Sevier County, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Throughout its history, the valley has been home to a pioneer Appalachian community, a logging town, and a resort community...
), became involved in the effort to create a national park in the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
. Additionally, Chapman was also active in various social clubs, civic clubs, and fraternal organizations in the Knoxville area.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In 1925, Tennessee Governor Austin PeayAustin Peay
Austin Peay was Governor of Tennessee from 1923 until his death in 1927.-Biography:Peay, a native of Kentucky, moved to Clarksville, Tennessee and opened a law practice in 1896. He was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1901 and re-elected in 1903...
appointed Chapman as East Tennessee representative to the Tennessee State Park & Forestry Commission, an appointment that came with the urging of the Smoky Mountains Conservation Association. The association voted to add the word "Great" to their name, giving rise to Great Smoky Mountains as the official and full name of the mountain range where the park would be located. Negotiations started as early as 1925, which was estimated to cost US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10 million (US$ at 2008 prices) and involve 6,000 private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
owners, including large timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
companies that owned most of the land. Chapman did most of the negotiations for the land purchases, even as he raised money to buy more parcels of the park. In 1927, the legislatures of North Carolina
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
and Tennessee
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
appropriated
Appropriation bill
An appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending...
US$2 million (US$ at 2008 prices.) each while other donations came from individuals, groups, and school children who gave their pennies. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
was even persuaded by Chapman and National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
Assistant Director Arno Cammerer to donate US$5 million (US$ at 2008 prices.) to ensure the park's success.
Two years later, the State of Tennessee created the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountain National Park Commission in order to purchase land for the proposed park. This land was then turned over to the United States federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
for use as a national park. Chapman was appointed the first commissioner, serving until 1932, but was retained as a member when a new commission was appointed later that year. Chapman and the temporary commissioner, George Roby Dempster
George Roby Dempster
George Roby Dempster was an American businessman, inventor, and politician, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the first half of the twentieth century. Dempster is best known for the invention of the Dempster-Dumpster, a now-commonly-used trash receptacle that can be mechanically...
, once engaged in a fist fight over an audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
that charged US$11067 (US$ at 2008 prices.) had been spent by the new commission in the last quarter of 1932 to purchase only 0.4 acre (0.1618744 ha). Tennessee Governor Hill McAlister
Hill McAlister
Harry Hill McAlister was Governor of Tennessee from 1933 to 1937.-Biography:Hill McAlister was born in Nashville to a family kin to at least two former governors of Tennessee and the former governor of the predecessor Southwest Territory, William Blount...
abolished the Park Commission and transferred its responsibilities to the Tennessee Park and Forestry Commission after the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
approved in April 1933.
The park was officially established on 15 June 1934. President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
officially dedicated the park on 2 September 1940 with Chapman, the "Father of the Park", in attendance.
Personal life
Chapman was married twice, first to the former Augusta McKeldin, and later to the former Sue Johnston following Augusta's death. He died in 1944 of congestive heart failureCongestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
in Knoxville and is buried at Highland Memorial Cemetery.
Legacy
Mount Champman, a 6340 ft (1,932.4 m) peak in the park is named in his honor. A stretch of US 441 in South Knoxville is also named in Chapman's honor as Chapman Highway.External links
- Portrait of Chapman, 1897 – Knaffl and BrotherJoseph KnafflJoseph Knaffl was an American art and portrait photographer, active in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his 1899 portrait, "Knaffl Madonna," which has been reprinted thousands of times, and is still used for Hallmark Christmas cards...
photograph on file at the McClung Digital Collection