Charles C. Chapman Legacy Society

Charles C. Chapman Legacy Society The page for the Charles C. Chapman Legacy Society provides information for people of all a

Chapman University is one of California’s oldest and most respected private universities, offering distinguished undergraduate and graduate degrees in the context of a liberal arts and sciences university. For more than 150 years, Chapman University has served as a symbol of educational access and excellence in the state of California. Founded as Hesperian College in 1861 in Woodland, California b

y members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we admitted men and women and people of color from our earliest days. Endowed by the Valencia orange magnate Charles Clarke Chapman, the institution changed its name to Chapman College in 1934, and by 1954 had moved to the former campus of Orange Union High School in Orange, California. The college again extended higher educational access when it began offering classes to military personnel at El Toro Marine Base. In 1965, Chapman took undergraduate education to the high seas when it began running World Campus Afloat, the program that would eventually become Semester at Sea, a tradition that continues at Chapman through our world-wide study abroad programs. Since our founding, Chapman has grown into a highly regarded university that attracts high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students from all over the United States, and more than 60 nations around the world. Our mission statement: To provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive lives as global citizens.

Janeen Hill Built Crean College by Challenging Everything — Including HerselfThe founding dean grew Crean College of Hea...
06/02/2026

Janeen Hill Built Crean College by Challenging Everything — Including Herself
The founding dean grew Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences into Chapman’s second-largest academic unit

Janeen Hill used to dread raising her hand. Long before she led Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, she sat in faculty meetings too nervous to ask a question. "I decided that was absolutely

After a national search, Provost Mike Ibba announced Antony Page as the next dean of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law.Pa...
05/28/2026

After a national search, Provost Mike Ibba announced Antony Page as the next dean of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law.

Page most recently served as dean of the Florida International University College of Law in Miami and is an internationally recognized scholar on corporate law and social enterprise.

“Antony’s global perspective and accomplishments as a leader and academic have uniquely prepared him to lead the world-class Fowler School of Law,” Ibba said. “His track record of helping students become practice-ready and prepared for the complexities of the law today make him the perfect fit for Chapman.”

After a national search, Chapman University Provost Mike Ibba announced Antony Page as the next dean of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law.

On April 30, the Chapman community showed up and then some. Giving Day brought together alumni, parents, faculty, staff,...
05/26/2026

On April 30, the Chapman community showed up and then some. Giving Day brought together alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends for 24 hours of giving that surpassed its goal of 1,000 gifts.

The number tells one story, but our students tell a better one. Every day brings the privilege of watching Chapman students do extraordinary things. Giving Day is the moment the entire Chapman Family gets to be part of making those moments possible by opening doors, fueling discovery, and changing the trajectory of students’ lives.

On April 30, the Chapman community showed up and surpassed the Giving Day goal of 1,000 gifts!

05/25/2026
And so Commencement weekend begins. Congratulations to all our 2026 graduates!
05/22/2026

And so Commencement weekend begins. Congratulations to all our 2026 graduates!

When Olivia Mello ’20 was in eighth grade, she wasn’t searching for a perfect college campus. She was searching for a so...
05/21/2026

When Olivia Mello ’20 was in eighth grade, she wasn’t searching for a perfect college campus. She was searching for a sound.

Scrolling online, she found a video titled Beyond the Notes featuring Chapman University’s Dr. Grace Fong, the head of piano studies. Olivia had been studying piano since she was six, and something about the way Dr. Fong taught made the future feel real. “If college is anything like learning from this lady here, I want to be a part of it,” Olivia said.

Years later, when Olivia was accepted to Chapman, it wasn’t a generic admissions message that sealed it. Dr. Fong emailed her personally and invited her to travel to Italy that summer to perform and attend master classes at the Semper Music International Festival. Olivia’s first time seeing Chapman’s campus in person would come later, during orientation week, but by then, her decision was already made.

How first-gen Chapman University alum Olivia Mello went from piano performance in the Conservatory of Music to Yale Law.

When Adam Kalawi ’14 first arrived at Chapman University, he did not walk onto campus searching for a direction. He came...
05/19/2026

When Adam Kalawi ’14 first arrived at Chapman University, he did not walk onto campus searching for a direction. He came with a goal he had held since childhood: to become a doctor.

Kalawi was the fourth of his siblings to attend the university, and his earliest memories of campus go back to tagging along during summers when his sister worked at Camp Chapman, a previous on-campus summer camp for kids.

Even before he enrolled, Kalawi experienced the kind of personal support he would later describe as Chapman’s defining strength. In eighth grade, while working on a science fair project about how soda and juice erode teeth, a Chapman biochemistry professor heard about his project through Kalawi’s sister. The professor offered him an old pH meter and supplies to borrow.

“I can’t think of a lot of other places that would be so in tune with their students’ needs that they weren’t just aware of the students themselves, but let alone their family,” Kalawi said. “It’s simply amazing how much these professors care.”

Adam Kalawi ’14 credits Chapman University’s mentorships and hands-on research for preparing him to succeed in medicine and education.

When Dilan Mistry ’21 arrived at Chapman University in Fall 2017, he did not come to test the waters. He came with a pla...
05/14/2026

When Dilan Mistry ’21 arrived at Chapman University in Fall 2017, he did not come to test the waters. He came with a plan. He had already started a small advertising business in high school, but he knew he wanted to build something bigger than freelance jobs.

The decision to attend Chapman came into focus before he even started college. “I knew I needed to be at Chapman to seriously follow and achieve my goals,” Mistry said.

Chapman University alum Dilan Mistry leveraged his school experience and connections to successfully build his commercial production company.

On April 30, the Chapman community will come together for Giving Day — a 24-hour online fundraising event where every gi...
05/12/2026

On April 30, the Chapman community will come together for Giving Day — a 24-hour online fundraising event where every gift to the Chapman Fund will directly fuel student success. This year, your gift to the Chapman Fund can support general scholarships, scholarships within a college or school that means the most to you, Chapman Athletics in honor of a team or coach, or the area of greatest need. Your gift provides the resources for students to pursue research, build faculty mentorships, and chase dream careers.

Here, we highlight five students who are a testament to what becomes possible when our community invests in its own. Help us reach our goal of 1,000 gifts on April 30.

On April 30, the Chapman community will come together for Giving Day to fuel student success!

When Erika Ebe ’20 arrived at Chapman University from a small town in Northwest Washington, she thought she knew exactly...
05/07/2026

When Erika Ebe ’20 arrived at Chapman University from a small town in Northwest Washington, she thought she knew exactly what her college story would be. She had been an athlete for most of her life and discovered Chapman through softball. During her first visit, she bonded quickly with the softball team, but it was the campus itself that sealed it for her and her family.

Chapman alum Erika Ebe shares how campus leadership, service learning, and an internship helped her launch a career at Rady Children’s.

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1 University Drive
Orange, CA
92866

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