Tolson Chapman – Athlete

Inducted November 16, 1991

Tolson Chapman is certainly one of this province’s finest athletes when one considers his level of accomplishments, variety of sport and longevity of participation at the elite level. His involvement spans four decades. He was an outstanding goaltender in hockey and spent his highlight years as a member of the St. John’s Capitals in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League. In 1958 Chapman had a professional tryout with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won numerous M.V.P. and goaltending awards from 1958-76 and was a member of two Herder Championship Teams. He also played baseball and softball and was an “All-Star” infielder with the St. John’s Capitals and other representative teams. He won several provincial championships between 1957 and 1980 as a member of the St. John’s Caps. As a guard/forward he was a member of the St. John’s Capitals in provincial basketball competition. In all of the above team sports he was a top performer and team leader. While he was an excellent team sport player he also has made and continues to make his mark as an individual-sport competitor. He is now a regular participant in golf tournaments (14 handicap) where he is among the better club (Pippy Park) players.

Tolson has won more provincial squash racquet championships than can be counted on the fingers of both hands. He has also captured Provincial Championships in tennis in singles and doubles and is a former provincial handball and racquetball champion. He continues to participate in provincial squash tournaments and is still a perennial semi-finalist and finalist.

Tolson has represented the province as an athlete with distinctions in hockey, baseball, basketball, squash, tennis and racquetball. In 1981 he was named St. John’s Athlete of the Decade.

Tolson’s attributes as an athlete are exceptional coordination, strength and quickness. Combine these features with an amazing variety of movement skills and a blazing and determined competitive spirit and you have Tolson Chapman “athlete extraordinaire”!