A Towering Tribute
Centennial campanile honors Carmen Culpeper Chappell
By Donna Harter Raab
John Chappell’s first contact with Mary Washington came in the fall of 1958 when, as a young officer in training at Quantico, he went on a blind date with English major Carmen Culpeper ’59. The couple dated for several months before Chappell completed his training and left town.
During those months, he formed a lasting bond with both Carmen and the campus. “She was a long way from her family and home in Puerto Rico, but Carmen absolutely loved Mary Washington,”
Chappell said in a recent interview. “She had a wonderful time, made many strong friends and pursued a multitude of interests including reading, architecture and nature.”
After graduation, Carmen returned to her family home in Puerto Rico. She and John married in 1961 and lived in various places around the world. Throughout their many moves, they maintained contact with her Mary Washington friends and kept up with campus happenings.
“Carmen always sent in her Class Notes and was happy to share news of our two children, Jennifer and Eric,” John Chappell said. The Chappells often returned to Mary Washington for class reunions; in 2000, Carmen began serving on the fund-raising and decorating committees for the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. “She really enjoyed being back on campus on a regular basis and, of course, indulging her interest in architecture,” John said.
Unfortunately, Carmen did not live to see the completion of that building. She died in 2003 from complications of breast cancer.
To celebrate her life, her love of learning and her loyalty to Mary Washington, the Chappell family searched for ways to honor Carmen’s memory. Two diverse projects emerged: funding of the Great Lives Lecture Series and construction of a bell tower, or campanile, in commemoration of the University’s centennial. “I know Carmen would love to be able to add to the overall campus experience,” John Chappell said. “As a focal point on campus, I think the Centennial campanile will be visually appealing and perhaps spiritually uplifting.”
The new structure will be located within the traffic circle near George Washington Hall and the beginning of Campus Walk. Construction is set to begin this summer. The 88-foot tower will be made of red brick and white material to match the traditional Georgian Revival architectural style of other campus buildings. The base will be approximately 21 square feet and will include a water fountain dedicated to Carmen’s class, the Class of 1959.
“Carmen and her classmates spent wonderful, one-of-a-kind years at Mary Washington in the late ’50s,” John Chappell said. And he predicts many more special times, he said, as the University prepares for its 2008 Centennial celebration.
Donna Harter Raab is UMW’s director of development communications.
