Guide to the John Wilbur Chapman Papers

J. Wilbur Chapman was born in Richmond, Indiana on June 17, 1859. He enrolled in Oberlin College in 1876, transferring after one year to Lake Forest University. He graduated from there in 1879 and from Lane Theological Seminary in 1882. He was married three times: first to Irene Steddon (1882-1886), then to Agnes Pruyn Strain (1888-1907), and last to Mabel Cornelia Moulton (1910-1918).

Chapman spent the years 1882-1902 as pastor of various churches in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and New York. In 1893, he began itinerant evangelistic work, preaching with Dwight L. Moody and hiring William Ashley "Billy" Sunday as an advance man. In 1895, he was appointed Corresponding Secretary of the Presbyterian General Assembly's Committee on Evangelism.

In 1904, Chapman began organizing urban revival meetings on a large scale. In 1907, he met Charles McCallon Alexander, a well-known song leader, and the two joined there efforts. In 1909, they sailed from British Columbia on their first international evangelistic campaign. They continued to campaign internationally until 1918.

In May of 1917, Chapman was elected moderator of the General Assembly, serving until May of 1918. He died Christmas Day, 1918.