Born Louise Green in San Antonio, Texas, Louise Chapman has always
appreciated education. “My parents were the first in their families to go to college,” Chapman noted. “My father wanted to give back because of the difference education made in his life and there is a scholarship in his name at the University of Texas at Austin in geology.” Louise Chapman chose an uncommon path for women at that time by earning a degree in geology at the University of Texas at Austin. Upon graduation, she was employed by Humble Oil Company (now Exxon) when the company sent her to work in Corpus Christi where she came to share her life with John Chapman. “I met John at a Sunday School class for young business people at First United Methodist Church,” she recalled. “John didn’t ask me for a date for several months, but once he did, we knew we were meant for each other and were married six months later. At the time, he was involved in day-today farming at Chapman Ranch and worked 24/7 during crop season.” The Chapmans built a life together that included giving back to the community. They became philanthropists, supporting education and the arts in the Coastal Bend area for decades. Since John Chapman’s passing in 2008, Louise Chapman is determined to carry on that legacy. “John was truly the finest person I have ever known,” she said.
John Chapman was born in San Antonio and moved to Corpus Christi in 1951 with his family. He graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio with a degree in business. “He was reserved at first, but I could see that he had enormous potential. He became involved with the local community in many volunteer positions,” Louise Chapman said. “John said that the University (now Texas A&M–Corpus Christi) was the best thing going for the city and the area and he wanted to see it continue to grow.” John Chapman determined that one way to help the University would be to establish scholarships to attract the brightest students. The John Chapman Endowed Scholarship was established in 1993. Chapman was a member of the University President’s Council and in 2000 chaired the
“Waves of the Future” capital campaign. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters in 2002 for his contributions to the University. He was a strong contributor to the construction of the school’s Math and Science Resource Center dedicated in February 2006. He also supported the University’s library and the Art Museum of South Texas, while serving on more than a dozen community boards. The Chapmans and the Hulingses, another well-known philanthropic family in the area, became good friends. The Hulings family established the Chapman-Hulings Endowed Scholarship Fund in honor of the friendship of Margie and Mark Hulings and Louise with John Chapman. “John was always interested in education but the thing that gave him the greatest joy was funding the press box for the Islander baseball/softball fields,” Louise Chapman said. “He loved baseball and the press box was required for Southland Conference competition. He had so much fun at the announcement and dedication.” Even as she continues John Chapman’s legacy, Louise Chapman supports the local community as well. She is a member of the Corpus Christi Symphony Board, as well as the Texas State Aquarium Board and the Art Museum of South Texas, where she has served as committee chair, secretary, and chairman of the board. And, she still attends the church where she first met John Chapman.
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