Howard L. Chapman

Howard L. Chapman has distinguished himself as an accomplished lawyer and civic leader.

Howard L. Chapman

Born in Chicago and raised in Monmouth, Ill., he was awarded an academic scholarship and attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics in 1956 and his law degree in 1958. While at Northwestern, he met Elizabeth Waterfield. They married and moved to her hometown, Fort Wayne, where he has practiced law since 1958.

Chapman began his career with the firm of Shoaff, Keegan & Baird, becoming a partner in 1963. In 1970, he was one of the founding partners of the firm of Bonahoom, Chapman & McNellis, later to become Bonahoom, Chapman, McNellis & Michaels, and conducted a thriving law practice in the fields of corporate, real estate, and labor law.

In 1986, his firm merged with the Fort Wayne law firm of Barrett, Barrett and McNagny, and the resulting firm became Barrett & McNagny, which is one of Indiana’s oldest law firms, having been established in 1876. Chapman served as a member of the firm’s executive committee in 1986 and 1987, and continues his relationship as "of counsel" to the firm. He also serves as a member of the boards of directors of Waterfield Mortgage Company Inc., and Union Federal Bank of Indianapolis.

Chapman is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, to all courts of Indiana, and to the U.S. District Courts in both the Northern and Southern districts of Indiana.

In 2001, the Chapmans established the first endowed chair at Indiana University Purdue University - Fort Wayne, designated as The Chapman Distinguished Professor of English. In addition to his philanthropic activities at IPFW, he has been active as an officer, director and committee member of many community civic and charitable organizations, including Community Harvest Food Bank, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, and United Way of Allen County.

Chapman became a member of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne in 1958. He is an elder in the church, past president of its board of trustees, chairman of the Stewardship Campaign, and past president of the First Presbyterian Church Foundation.