Julius W. Chapin papers

Record Group

Identifier: UA-10.3.141

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists primarily of correspondence generated in 1923 when Chapin was responding to inquiries about his reasons for refusing the County Agent job, and letters of application he sent to various publications in 1937 seeking work as an agricultural editor and writer. The papers also include a card advertising "Chapin-Cherries" which shows a map and photograph of the Chapin cherry orchard in Suttons Bay and a newspaper article about the Chapin family farm in Eden. Also included is a chemistry notebook for a Chemistry I class. The notebook contains detailed notes about experiments and drawings of apparatus for an experiment. There is also an instruction sheet for how the notebook is to be kept for the class.

Dates

Creation: 1906 - 1938

Creator

Chapin, Julius William, 1888-1971 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Julius Chapin graduated from Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) in 1910 with a B.S. in Agriculture. While at M.A.C., Chapin served as Class Secretary, Editor-in-Chief of The Holcad, and a member of Alpha Zeta agriculture honor society.

Chapin's grandparents were among the early pioneers migrating to Michigan from Western New York after the opening of the Erie Canal. His grandfather, Almon Morris Chapin, purchased a farm in Eden (Ingham County), Michigan, in 1842. This farm has remained in the family and is designated as one of the Michigan Centennial Farms. Julius Chapin, like his father, J. W. Chapin, was born on this farm.

After graduating from college, Chapin held various positions related to education, agriculture, and journalism. He served as Superintendent of Schools and a teacher of agriculture in three communities: North Adams (1910-1913), Suttons Bay (1921-1924), and Springville Township (1924-1926). He was County Agricultural Agent for Branch County from 1913 to 1917, and later held jobs in sales, distribution and advertising for Swift & Co., Alamo Farm Light Company, Niagara Sprayer Company, and the Monroe Nursery Company.

In 1923 Chapin purchased a cherry farm in Sutton's Bay, Michigan, operating the orchard part time while working in various jobs including columnist for Traverse City Record Eagle. That same year he was offered the position of County Extension Agent for Leelanau County, but refused the job because a conflict of interests.