HUM-MOLGEN archive: NEWS:

From: dmiller@mcbio.med.buffalo.edu (Darla Miller) The following obituary will be printed in the Buffalo News and (hopefully) the New York Times on Sunday, Sept.3, 1995: Verne M. Chapman, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and one of the nation's leading mammalian geneticists, died suddenly August 30 while attending a scientific meeting in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. He was 56. Dr. Chapman joined the staff of Roswell Park in 1972 as a senior cancer research scientist in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and in 1982 was appointed Department Chair. From 1985-1989 Dr. Chapman served as Associate Director of Scientific Affairs, during a period of leadership transition. Dr. Chapman was also a research professor in the Roswell Park Graduate Division of the State University of New York at Buffalo. During his career he served on several Federal Government public advisory committees, published over 200 scholarly articles, and was an invited guest lecturer at conferences and symposia in the U.S. and abroad. In 1994 the Roswell Park Alliance awarded Dr. Chapman the Dr. Thomas B. Tomasi Hope Award, which honors a Roswell Park cancer researcher whose work has made a significant contribution to advances in cancer care and has brought hope to cancer patients. More recently, Dr. Chapman was designated an eminent scientist of the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Over the last four years, he had been collaborating with this research institute on a project to identify and characterize genes. Internationally recognized as one of the world's leading mammalian geneticists, Dr. Chapman's investigations have led to the development of genetic and physical maps of the chromosomes of the laboratory mouse genome. These tools are critical to identifying and analyzing the molecular defects which are often associated with cancer. Another recent important contribution was the generation of alleles which have been critical for evaluation of dystrophin constructs for gene therapy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. "Dr. Chapman was an outstanding scientist and scholar," said Dr. Thomas B. Tomasi, Roswell Park president and CEO. "As a member of the administrative faculty, he was part of the vision and ultimate success of the major modernization program at Roswell. He was a friend and colleague, who greatly contributed to our Institute and he will be profoundly missed." According to colleagues, Dr. Chapman was an unusually interactive individual. He played a unique role in the field of mouse genetics for the past 25 years, fostering interactions between investigators in the international arena, and nurturing and developing the careers of young scientists. His personal connections in the field are extensive, and include Europe and Japan as well as in the United States. He has been a major force in initiating the International Mammalian Genome Society. He was a superb leader, promoting excellence in research and teaching. He was a tireless, energetic, and resilient mammalian genetic researcher whose work was always significant, timely, and at the cutting edge. Importantly, Dr. Chapman was a warm and caring individual who could always be counted on and who stood behind his beliefs. Born in Sacramento, California, Dr. Chapman was a graduate of California State Polytechnic College. He was awarded a doctorate in genetics from Oregon State University in 1965, and later completed three consecutive postdoctoral fellowships at the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine; Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In addition to his scientific career, Verne Chapman made many contributions to his community. He supported environmental and human rights causes during his 23 years in the Western New York area. He is survived by his wife, Deborah Stewart, two children, Zachary, 20, and Chloe, 14, and two brothers, Gary and Marvin Chapman. A memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 695 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY on Tuesday, September 19 at 6:00 p.m. Reception immediately following. Contributions can be made to the Verne M. Chapman Memorial Fund, c/o Health Research Inc., P.O. Box 1216, Buffalo, NY 14240. Since many of you have expressed an interest in attending the memorial service, I have reserved a block of rooms at two area hotels: The Lenox Hotel (716) 884-1700 ($39/night) The Buffalo Hilton (716) 845-5100 ($79/night) At either place, please specify that you are with a Roswell Park group to get the above rates. If you have any other questions, please contact me. Darla __ __ / \ / \ ( _""_ ) for more info on the 9th IMGC look for our home page at - o o - http://mcbio.med.buffalo.edu/imgc/conference.html \ / ===\ /=== O Jean J. Latimer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Magee Womens Research Institute 204 Craft Avenue Room 430 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Phone 412-641-6054 Fax 412-641-6055 latimerj+@pitt.edu