Charles W. Chappelle facts for kids
Charles Ward Chappelle (July 11, 1872 – February 28, 1941) was an amazing African-American pioneer from the early 1900s. He was an electrical engineer and a smart businessman. He led a company called the African Union Company, Inc. This company wanted to build modern cities for Black people in West Africa, specifically in a place called the Gold Coast (which is now Ghana).
They raised a lot of money to build roads, railways, and other important things. They even made deals with big companies like U.S. Steel. In the beginning, Chappelle worked with 82 tribal chiefs in the Gold Coast. They planned to export valuable resources like gold, cocoa, rubber, and mahogany wood. The money from these exports was meant to help build a railway called the African Central Railroad and a shipping company called the West Coast Steam and Harbor Company. Both of these were joint projects between African-Americans and Africans.
Early Life
Charles W. Chappelle was born on July 11, 1872, in Eatonton, Georgia. He was one of 18 children! His father, Reverend George W. Chappelle, was a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Charles learned many skills by going to Knox Institute and Morris Brown University in Georgia. He also took classes through mail-in courses. He started working at just 10 years old, doing jobs like working in lumber yards. After his education, Chappelle also taught as a school teacher in White Plains, Georgia.
In 1897, Charles W. Chappelle married Nita Blackwell in Georgia. His father performed the wedding ceremony. Later, in 1910, records show Chappelle lived with his wife Nita in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After some time, he moved to Brooklyn, New York by himself.
Chappelle started traveling to African countries in 1909. By 1912, news reports showed he worked in Africa for at least eight more years. He was the president of the African Union Company, Inc. during this time.
International Businessman
Chappelle was the first head electrician at U.S. Steel. He used his connections there to help the African Union Company, Inc. This company was started in Brooklyn, New York. It also had offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in the Gold Coast of West Africa.
The African Union Company had several important leaders. Charles W. Chappelle was the president. Other officials included Joseph L. Jones, John T. Birch, Gilchrist Stewart, Emmett J. Scott, and more.
The company got more money by exporting minerals like silver and tin. They also exported other valuable items like mahogany wood from the lands they leased in Africa. These resources were sent to the United States and Europe. In 1914, the company announced it would buy the Charles W. Chappelle Company. This company had a large agreement to harvest mahogany in the Gold Coast.
The land leases were usually about 120 square miles. They often lasted for a very long time, sometimes over 90 years. At that time, people were not as worried about the environment as they are today. Some African leaders did not like the idea of exporting so many resources. They worried it would take too much from Africa. However, most Black people and leaders in Africa welcomed Chappelle and his company.
After Chappelle moved back to Pittsburgh in the 1920s, he was still the active president of the African Union Company. Dr. Jay Emmett Scott from Howard University in Washington, D.C. became the Chairman of the Board.
In 1922, a newspaper called the Savannah Tribune reported good news. It said that Charles W. Chappelle had made a deal with U.S. Steel. This deal was for 100,000 tons of manganese each year. It also said that $8,000,000 worth of fine mahogany was ready to be shipped. Business was so good that they needed two steamships!
Later, while Jay Emmett Scott was chairman, the company faced a big problem. They could not arrange to ship cocoa from Africa to the United States. This big deal falling through hurt the company a lot. The African Union Company struggled and eventually went out of business around 1930. This was just before or during the start of the Great Depression in the U.S.
African-American Aviation Pioneer
Charles W. Chappelle also designed a successful long-distance airplane. He won a medal for being the only African-American to invent and show an airplane at a big event. This was the 1911 First Industrial Airplane Show. It happened alongside the U.S. International Auto Show in New York City at Grand Central Palace.
His airplane invention was written about in several African-American newspapers. One newspaper in Ghana called it a "quadruplane." Others simply wrote about how exciting it was to have an African-American airplane inventor. It was a big moment in the history of aviation. Many important people attended and spoke at the event, and the media covered it for two weeks. Chappelle's invention brought a lot of excitement to the African-American community.
In May 1911, The Crises: A Record of the Darker Races magazine mentioned Chappelle. This magazine was published by the NAACP in New York City.
In 1911, the first African-American airplane company was formed in Manhattan, New York City. It started with $10,000.00. Chappelle was its vice president. Other board members included Louis A. Leavelle (president), Benjamin F. Thomas (treasurer), and Lee A. Pollard (secretary).
Chappelle was also a member of the United States Aeronautical Reserve. Their official magazine, The Air-Scout, mentioned him in December 1910. It said Chappelle "has invented an aeroplane embodying some very interesting features; especially equipped with safety devices for long distance passenger carrying flights..." It also said his airplane would be shown at the United States Aeronautical Reserve headquarters.
Other Activities
While Chappelle lived in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1900s, he also worked as an architect and contractor. He built several buildings in Brooklyn.
He traveled and lived in many cities in the United States and countries in Africa. However, his main home in the U.S. was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He returned there in 1920 and worked for the city's department of lands and buildings. He was also an active member of the Bethesda Presbyterian Church.
Charles Ward Chappelle passed away in 1941 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
