Former SDSU Foundation Board President Richard “Dick†Chapman died unexpectedly March 31, 2011.
Chapman, 79, of Centennial, Colorado, was born February 4, 1932, in Yankton, graduated from Brookings High School in 1950, and enrolled at South Dakota State College, where he excelled in public speaking, became student body vice president, and graduated in 1954.
The following year he attended Cambridge University in the United Kingdom as a Rotary Fellow, and subsequently earned his master’s of public administration and doctorate from Syracuse University in 1958 and 1967, respectively.
Chapman’s professional career was devoted to research in public policy; he authored numerous publications and was highly regarded in his field, earning the Jefferson Award for his contributions to the field of technology transfer.
He also was staff director for the Frank Denholm in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1973-1974.
Chapman headed the SDSU Foundation in 1996-98 and served on the board from 1992 to 1998 and again in 2005-06.
He co-authored God Bless America: Patriotic Fervor or Historic Reality? His passion for leadership and teaching extended into his spiritual life at Mission Hills Church (Littleton, Colorado) and most recently as an active member at Our Father Lutheran Church in Centennial.
He was active in the Forgotten Treasures ministry, and he was a supporter of the Denver Seminary.
Survivors include his wife, Marilyn, and five children.
