Valentine Jackson Chapman OBE (14 February 1910 – 5 December 1980) was a New Zealand botanist, university professor, and conservationist.

Val Chapman
Chapman in 1962
Auckland City Councillor
In office
1954–1956
In office
1960–1961
Personal details
Born
Valentine Jackson Chapman

(1910-02-14)14 February 1910
Alcester, Warwickshire, England
Died5 December 1980(1980-12-05) (aged 70)
Auckland, New Zealand
Spouse
Phyllis Claire Parks
(m. 1938)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge
Scientific career
FieldsBotany
Institutions
ThesisThe operation of tides in controlling salt marsh vegetation (1935)
Author abbrev. (botany)V.J.Chapm.

Biography edit

He was born in Alcester, Warwickshire, England, on 14 February 1910.[1]

Chapman was an associate of Auckland mayor Dove-Myer Robinson, and was a member of the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board between 1955 and 1956. He was a member of the Auckland City Council, winning two by-elections in 1954 and 1961.[2] Despite these successes, he was defeated in both subsequent elections in 1956 and 1962, missing out by only 172 votes in the latter election.[3][4]

In the 1974 New Year Honours, Chapman was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for academic and public services.[5] In 1977, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.[6]

Chapman died in Auckland on 5 December 1980.[6]

Selected publications edit

  • Seaweeds and Their Uses, 1970

The standard author abbreviation V.J.Chapm. is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ Morton, John. "Valentine Jackson Chapman". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Professor Chapman wins election". The New Zealand Herald. 6 February 1961. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Declaration of poll". The New Zealand Herald. 28 November 1956. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Declaration of result of election". The New Zealand Herald. 27 October 1968. p. 10.
  5. ^ "No. 46163". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 1 January 1974. p. 36.
  6. ^ a b Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 95. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
  7. ^ International Plant Names Index.  V.J.Chapm.