Elizabeth (Betty) Chapman came to ISU in 1983 as dean of the College of Applied Science. The only classroom computers were in a single lab in the Department of Computer Science. Everywhere else, word processing was completed on typewriters. In the early 1980s, the college provided a single portable computer for faculty checkout that weighed 35 pounds and was the size of a suitcase!
It was a time of tremendous change in the use of computer technology during her 12 years as dean. She was then invited to fill the role of acting associate provost, a position she was later selected to fill on a permanent basis. When she retired from the post in 2003, the University was just beginning to teach an occasional online course.
Appears InHer most fulfilling assignment in this role as associate provost was to provide the leadership for the transition of the Mennonite School of Nursing from its status as a private nursing school in Bloomington to an outstanding component of ISU’s degree programs.
Chapman pursued in retirement her hobby of raising and showing dogs, becoming president of the national club for her breed: Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers. Under the kennel name of Caraway, she and her partner bred and exhibited the reigning international champion “Kovu,” who won the prestigious terrier group at Crufts. It is the oldest and largest dog show held annually in England.
Chapman lives in a golfing community in North Carolina called Whispering Pines between the ocean and the Appalachian foothills in an area of ancient sand dunes. There are two retired show dogs in the household. The quarantine keeps Betty close to home. A weekly game of golf with friends and walks around the quiet neighborhood break the isolation. She continues to be active in her local progressive Christian church, where she serves on the board and as treasurer.
Fond remembrances of colleagues and friends from ISU are with Chapman always. She can be reached at echapman@ilstu.edu.
