# Charles Frederic Chapman

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Charles_Frederic_Chapman
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Charles_Frederic_Chapman.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Frederic_Chapman
> Source revision: 1336054609
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Charles Frederic Chapman** (January 4, 1881 - March 21, 1976) was an avid [boater](/source/Boating), [editor](/source/Editing) of [Hearst](/source/Hearst_Corporation)'s *Motor Boating* [magazine](/source/Magazine) from 1912 to 1968, co-founder of the [United States Power Squadrons](/source/United_States_Power_Squadrons), co-founder of the [Chapman School of Seamanship](/source/Chapman_School_of_Seamanship) and [author](/source/Author) of the standard boating [reference work](/source/Reference_work), *[Chapman Piloting](/source/Chapman_Piloting)*.

## Early life

Chapman was born in [Norwich](/source/Norwich,_Connecticut), [Connecticut](/source/Connecticut), in 1881. After [high school](/source/High_school) at the [Norwich Free Academy](/source/Norwich_Free_Academy), he studied [naval architecture](/source/Naval_architecture) and [marine engineering](/source/Marine_propulsion) at [Cornell University](/source/Cornell_University), graduating in 1905. At Cornell, he was a member of the [Phi Kappa Tau](/source/Phi_Kappa_Tau) fraternity. Chapman then settled in [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan) and joined the [New York Motor Boat Club](/source/New_York_Motor_Boat_Club) where he later became [commodore](/source/Commodore_(yacht_club)). He served as secretary of the [American Power Boat Association](/source/American_Power_Boat_Association) for 25 years and as chairman of the association's racing commission.[1]

Chapman was active in [powerboating](/source/Powerboating) and racing and, in 1912, was brought to the attention of [William Randolph Hearst](/source/William_Randolph_Hearst) who hired him to edit *Motor Boating* magazine which he did for 56 years. In 1914, Chapman was among ten men who founded the United States Power Squadrons. Not only did he design the organization's [ensign](/source/Ensign_(flag)), but he also served variously as treasurer, vice commander, and chief commander.[1]

In later years, while living in Plandome, Long Island, he was Commodore of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club.

## *Chapman Piloting*

Main article: [Chapman Piloting](/source/Chapman_Piloting)

In 1916, then [Assistant Secretary of the Navy](/source/Assistant_Secretary_of_the_Navy) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](/source/Franklin_D._Roosevelt) asked Chapman to write an instruction manual to teach small-boat [seamanship](/source/Seamanship) to members of the [Navy Reserve](/source/United_States_Navy_Reserve). The next year, the 144-page *Practical Motor Boat Handling, Seamanship, and Piloting* was published. After six revisions, the manual was renamed in 1922 to *Piloting, Seamanship & Small Boat Handling*.[2][3] The book has been in print ever since and as of 2013 was in the 67th edition.

## Death

Chapman died of a [heart attack](/source/Heart_attack) in [Essex](/source/Essex,_Connecticut), Connecticut, on March 21, 1976, at the age of 95.[3]

## See also

- [Chapman School of Seamanship](/source/Chapman_School_of_Seamanship)

## References

1. Husick, Charles B. (2009). *Chapman Piloting & Seamanship*. 66 ed. New York: Hearst Books. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-58816-744-6.

1. Husick, Charles B. (2009). *Chapman Piloting & Seamanship*. 66 ed. New York: Hearst Books. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-58816-744-6.

1. Rogers, Thomas (March 23, 1976). "Charles Chapman, Boat Editor and Author of 'Piloting,' Dead". *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Charles Frederic Chapman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Frederic_Chapman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Frederic_Chapman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.