[1] By 1880, he lived in Ontario, New York with his maternal grandfather, George Thompson, He attended Howard University around 1900.

"[5] He helped start the fraternity's Beta Nu chapter in 1932 while he was teaching at Florida A&M University.

Chapman became the first Jewel to enter the Omega chapter—a memorial chapter that contains the names of deceased fraternity members.

[7] Chapman entered a career in higher education as a professor of agriculture at Jackson State College and Alabama A&M University.

[1] When he secured teaching positions in the South, Esther remained in Cleveland where Chapman would visit her.