5/10/11 Lee Ball / Daily Iberian

Will Chapman, who for 28 years has served as publisher of The Daily Iberian announced his retirement on Friday. When he was appointed to the position in 1988, Chapman was the youngest publisher in the Wick Communications chain. He retires as the company’s longest-serving publisher.

Chapman plans to remain with the company for several weeks to help with the transition in leadership at The Daily Iberian. Wick Communications CEO Francis Wick said a search was underway for the right replacement.

Chapman is a respected newspaperman who was born into the business. His first job was a paper route he took as a 12-year-old in Bastrop, but in truth, his fate was sealed even before that. Both of Chapman’s grandfathers were newspapermen. His paternal grandfather was the editor of the Topeka, Kansas, newspaper; his grandfather on his mother’s side was the publisher of The Bastrop (La.) Daily Enterprise.

The newspaper’s moniker proved true as it was a daily enterprise for many in his family. Chapman’s father left his own weekly newspaper in Crossett, Arkansas, to join the family business and eventually retired as the co-publisher of the Bastrop newspaper. Throughout those years, the ink from the newspaper transferred onto Chapman’s hands and bled right into his veins. He recalls lugging bundles of newspapers back and forth from the press to the mailroom as a teenager. He later trained circulation directors who would subsequently make more than the Chapman boy.

“There was always an odd job or two,” he recalled.

Chapman went on to LSU, where he studied journalism. He was a news editor of the student newspaper in Baton Rouge, and he lined up a job as a circulation district manager at the now-defunct New Orleans States-Item even before he graduated. He had a line on a life partner, too. He and Gladys met at LSU and have now been married for 37 years.

After working in New Orleans, to be nearer to Gladys, Chapman took a job with a group of weekly newspapers just north of Baton Rouge. That was just a pit stop on his way to New Iberia. May 1, 1980, was his first day after being hired as ad manager at The Daily Iberian. Thirty-six years later, he says he originally thought he would only be in New Iberia a couple of years as he thought he’d have to move on to find a publisher’s position.

“I have enjoyed and really value my time at The Daily Iberian,” Chapman said. “The people with whom I have worked, the relationships I’ve made with them and others in the community mean a lot to me.”

Company CEO Francis Wick said Chapman would be missed throughout the organization.

“We are grateful to Will Chapman, and the Chapman family, for their years of leadership and devotion to the New Iberia community,” Wick said. “Chapman’s oversight was second to none. He taught many employees how to think broader and manage better.

“His teachings will have a lasting effect on the Wick company and on myself personally,” Wick said.

Chapman has been active in the Louisiana Press Association for many years and his colleagues say he will be missed across the state. “He was instrumental in hiring me more than 20 years ago,” said Pamela Mitchell, executive director of the LPA. “He has been the advertising committee chairman forever. He was always able to see the bigger picture.

“Will has been a friend to many in the newspaper business in Louisiana,” said Garland Foreman, publisher of the Bunkie Record and president of the state press association. “He has had helpful insights that have helped all the newspapers through the years. He is a trusted champion of public records and journalism in Louisiana.”

As a group publisher for Wick for many years, he provided leadership at various times for 13 newspapers in five states and recruited several current publishers and executives to the company.

First and foremost, Chapman is a journalist. He has written more than 3,000 columns for the newspaper over the years and a like number of editorials. Under Chapman’s leadership The Daily Iberian has been engaged in the daily business of making New Iberia a better place. The newspaper has long given a Citizen of the Year award to a deserving local resident. It organizes a giving campaign each holiday season.

Chapman remembers learning years ago that there was no local harvesting mechanism in local hospitals to aid people who wished to give life by donating organs. The Daily Iberian involved local hospital administrators in a campaign to change that and held public meetings to encourage donations. “I’ll never forget a man who stood up and announced, ‘I’m here because someone signed up to be an organ donor. That donor’s heart is beating in my chest,’” Chapman recalled.

Those are some of the moments Chapman says he remembers most. “Sure, we have plenty of things that can aggravate someone, but it sure seems like the compliments and ‘thank you’ calls outnumber the complaints,” he said.

Chapman plans to stay in New Iberia, and stay active. “I’m going to take some time to do nothing, but am sure I’ll soon be looking for something in which to get involved.