Dec 28, 2008 11:14 am US/Eastern
Former Knight Ridder CEO Alvah Chapman Dies
Chapman Died At The Age Of 87
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
-
-
Alvah Chapman
The Miami Herald
Alvah H. Chapman Jr., a champion of philanthropic causes across South Florida and former president and chief executive officer of The Miami Herald, has died.
Chapman, who suffered from Parkinson's disease, died Christmas Day in Coconut Grove at the age of 87 from pneumonia.
Born into a newspaper family on March 21, 1921, in Columbus, Georgia, Chapman's family owned the R. W. Page Corporation which operated The Ledger-Enquirer.
Serving as Knight Ridder CEO from 1976 to 1989, Chapman tripled the company's revenues as the publishing company's newspapers garnered 33 Pulitzer Prizes, according to
CBS4 news partners at
The Miami Herald. He retired as Knight Ridder's chairman in 1989 but remained on the board of directors.
After Hurricane Andrew destroyed much of south Miami-Dade County in 1992, President George H.W. Bush asked Chapman to spearhead the rebuilding effort. Out of this came the We Will Rebuild project. He also worked to house the homeless, helped create and downtown Miami's contemporary appearance and served as chairman of the Florida International University Foundation.
Chapman believed public service was a responsibility and a way businesses could help build and foster a society.
"You can't publish a successful newspaper in a community that's dying on the vine," he once said.
Chapman is survived by his wife, Betty, their two daughters and six grandchildren.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Burned Teen's Family Staying Positive
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
