Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Chapman, Earl Raymond October 22, 1958 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Patricia Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net June 9, 2022, 8:18 am Lake Odessa Wave - Thurs. October 30, 1958 EARL R. CHAPMAN DIED WEDNESDAY Earl R. Chapman, 72, manager of The Grand Rapid Press from 1947 until his retirement in 1953 from a distinguished newspaper career spanning 26 years in three Michigan cities, died Wednesday afternoon at his home in Lake Odessa. Besides his Grand Rapids service at the head of The Press' business departments, he had been business manager for nine years, from 1922 to 1931, of the Kalamazoo Gazette, and manager of the Flint Journal for 16 years from 1931 to 1947. His first newspaper training was with the Kalamazoo Gazette, where he began as accountant under the advance to classified manager, circulation manager and national advertising manager, taking over the business managership in 1922 when the publication was purchased by Booth Newspapers, Inc. Born in Litchfield,, in 1886, Mr. Chapman graduated in 1906 from Cleary College in Ypsilanti, an institution he later was to serve for many years as a trustee. The college awarded him an honorary degree of master of business science in 1950. His first employment was with the car service department of the Michigan Central railroad, after which he served as cashier of the Michigan Corset Company in Kalamazoo before turning to a journalistic career. While at Kalamazoo, Mr. Chapman served as general chairman of the Kalamazoo Centennial celebration in 1929 and was president of the Kalamazoo County Fair Board at the time. He was a director of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kalamazoo Country Club and the Museum Commission, and president of the former Maple Hills Golf Club. At Flint, Mr.Chapman managed the Journal through the depression years, the war and the remarkable growth period for this automotive center. He was director of the Flint YMCA and trustee of the Flint YMCA. After serving in Kalamazoo as president and district governor of the Exchange Club he was invited to join the Flint Rotary Club and continued as a member of the Grand Rapids Rotary Club when he came to this city.His many civic services while in Flint extended far beyond the city's boundaries and included presidency of the East Michigan Tourist Association. He also was active in the newspaper profession outside the papers with which he was affiliated, and had served as a director and president of the Inland Press Association. He had been a member of the traffic committee and newspaper boy committee of the American Newspaper Publishers Association. An expert fisherman and an accurate shot with both rifle and shotgun, Mr.Chapman continued his outdoors activities after retirement. For many year he had maintained a summer home at Broken Rocks on Lake Huron and a hunting and fishing cabin on the Au Sable River, and regularly hunted ducks and geese near Kalamazoo. He competed for many years in the state senior golf tournaments. Mr and Mrs. Chapman maintained a residence in Grand Rapids until 1956 when health considerations led to heir moving to Florida in the autumn of every years. He is survived by his wife, the former Miss Jessie Every of Kalamazoo; two sons, Raymond, with the state department at Washington and David, publisher of the Lake Odessa Wave; a daughter, Mrs. Donald Kinsman of Detroit; a sister, Mrs. Thurlow Ackley of Hastings; a brother, Dwight, of Homer, Michigan; and eight grandchildren. Mr. Chapman was a member of the Elks, a Mason and during his residency in Grand Rapids a member of Kent Country Club, the peninsular Club and Westminister Presbyterian Church, transferring to the Central Methodist Church of Lake Odessa after his retirement. When Mr.Chapman succeeded Elmer J.Slemons as manager of tThe Grand Rapids Press in 1947 it was obvious that with removal of wartime restrictions on use of newsprint the paper would immediately find its 40 years-old-plant outgrown both in space for its expanding operations and in mechanical facilities. He therefore plunged immediately into the planning and building operation which resulted in 1952, in construction of the modern addition west of the original structure and a 50 per cent expansion fo press facilities, larger quarters for the composing room, circulation, mailing and advertising departments and additions to editorial staff offices; housing for trucks, and expanded facilities for employe parking, lunches and conferences. Mr.Chapman's energy and experience in newspaper layout were invaluable in carrying this major building program to completion. A big man in every way whose commanding presence was combined with rare gifts of geniality and thoughtfulness toward all his co-workers, Mrs. Chapman carried with him at his retirement the affectionate goodwill of all the employees in each paper of which he was manager. Services for Mr.Chapman were held a 2 Saturday in Pickens funeral Home, Rev. Paul E.Robinson officiating. Burial in Lakeside Cemetery. Additional Comments: Lakeside Cem.#13-1649-1 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/c/chapman43441nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb