John B. Chapple, son of The Daily Press founder John Crockett Chapple, was an Ashland legend. He was a dedicated newspaperman, a family man, and a supporter of youth, education, the community, and his country.
Like his father, John served as a reporter, owner, and publisher over 75 years at The Daily Press. He graduated from Ashland High School in 1917 and attended UW-Madison for a year before he joined the U.S. Army and served as 2nd Lt. in World War I. After the war, he worked various journalism jobs at the Milwaukee Sentinel, The Milwaukee Journal, and The (Janesville) Gazette. He went off to Yale in 1919 where he earned a degree in philosophy.
John became managing editor of The Daily Press in 1925. Soon thereafter he became active in politics, receiving the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator in 1932 and 1934 and becoming a Republican candidate for governor in 1938.
In 1949, he served as a member of the Governor’s Commission on Human Rights. He was former Commander of both the World War II Veterans and the Catholic World War I Veterans, and he received an award for his service to the American Legion and veterans’ programs.
John was an author, a journalist, and a songwriter. He was also considered the unofficial Ashland historian, writing a popular “Archive” column for The Daily Press. He served on the Ashland School Board and the Ashland City Council for many years. In recognition of all of his contributions, Ashland city government renamed Seventh Avenue as West Chapple Avenue in his honor.
John was admired for the pride he took in his work, his positive attitude on life, his honesty, integrity, and the genuine concern he showed for others. The city of Ashland mourned the loss of this truly great man on April 16, 1989.
