Tributes have been paid to Tony Chapman OBE, who was Wales' longest-serving vice chancellor. Professor Chapman was vice chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University for 18 years.
Professor Antony Chapman represented the university from 1998 to his retirement in September 2016. He was Wales’ longest serving Vice-Chancellor. He died on Friday, July 1, surrounded by his family. Originally from Canterbury, Professor Chapman held a number of academic and leadership roles at the Universities of Cardiff, Leeds and Wales throughout his career and, among other achievements, is a former President of the British Psychological Society.
In a piece to mark his retirement, then WalesOnline education editor Gareth Evans described him as someone who was mild-mannered but "stuck two fingers up at the Welsh Government". You can read that piece here.
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A Mathematics and Psychology graduate, his academic work has been published widely and he is acknowledged to have made exceptional and substantial contributions to the Social Sciences.
During his time at Cardiff Met, Professor Chapman successfully fought off the threat of mergers, oversaw the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC) becoming Cardiff Met, celebrated the 150th anniversary and received our Queen’s Anniversary prize in 2015. Professor Chapman was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Cardiff Met in 2016 and an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Leicester University in 2008. He was awarded an OBE in January 2018 for his services to education.
Current Cardiff Met Vice Chancellor and President, Professor Cara Aitchison, said: "Professor Tony Chapman led the University through a period of significant uncertainty and change in the higher education landscape across Wales, the wider UK and internationally. He had a long and successful tenure as Vice-Chancellor and everyone at Cardiff Met is grateful for the part he played in establishing the university and in retaining its institutional autonomy.
“On behalf of Cardiff Met's current staff and students, as well as our alumni, I would like to send our deepest condolences to Tony's family and friends.”
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