Evening star., 1949-12-02
Society News
Wife of New Secretary of the Interior
Expects Little Change in Social Life
By Ann Cline

Committee and then on to the
Democratic National Committee.
1t was while serving with the lat
ter organization that she decided
to take the position Of secretary
to Mr.. Chapman, who was named
Assistant Secretary of the In
terror in May, 1888.
Married in 1910
The Chapmans were married
in 1910 and most of the time since
then have lived at the West
chester apartments. They took
over in June the very attractive
apartment they have now. It has
just been done over and the walls
are a very soft shade of blue. The
draperies in the large living
room are of a deeper blue and
rose draperies hang in the dining
room.
The apartment is quite large
enough for the informal buffet
suppers the Chapmans are so fond
of giving. One of the Secretary's
specialties is Brunswick stew and
their guests are often served that
or some of Mrs. Chapman's
Louisiana gumbo.
Getting back to Jimmie, the
pride of the household, he is a
very grownup school boy Of the
kindergarten set, attending Hor-
ace Mann school. His mother
says he's beginning to rebel
against playing with the under
5-year -olds, much preferring the
company Of older. football-play-'
ing boys.
His greatest delight is to be in
cluded in the older boys activi-
ties on the playground at the
Westchester. When they aren't
around though, he does con-
descend to let his mother play
with him.
Since Jimmie is in school from
l to 8 O'Clock, Mrs. Chapman tries
to arrange her schedule so that
she can be with him as much as
possible.
The newest addition to Mrs.
Chapman's list of outside inter-
ests is her membership on the
Advisory Committee of the Juve-
nile Court of the District of
Columbia. The committee is a
group of citizens organized in
1887 Ito consider the policies and
practices of the Juvenile Court
and the problems affecting the
proper implementation of the
function of the court"
Active in Democratic Club
One of the most time -consum-
ing jobs for the quiet and charm
ing official wife is program chair
man of the Women's Democratic
Club. This means that Mrs. Chap
man is responsible for getting a
speaker for the Monday luncheon
meetings, as well as for any dinner
meetings the club might have.
She is still active in the League
of Women Voters, although not
as much so as in the past, but
Mrs. Chapman thinks it's very
fine organization. She also Is a
member of the Women's Society
of the First Baptist Church. and.
of course, belongs to the PTA Of
Horace Mann School.
Mrs. Chapman was born in La
fayette, La. where her father, the
Rev. j. I. Kendrick, a retired Bap-
tist minister, now makes his home
with another daughter. Her
mother. who died three years ago,
was the former Sarah Manly.
During her lifetime, Mrs. Chap
man has lived in several of the
Southern States. She went to
Baylor College in Texas, where
she was president of the student
government in her senior year.
She taught school for four years.
part of the time teaching Latin
and English in Brownsville. Tex.
MY only real hobby is my son"
Mrs. Chapman said, but she does
have a collection of Adams china
historical sites. She
started this some years ago, and
even though the war interrupted
this pleasant task, she does have
quite few plates. The very
pretty pattern has a rose and
thistle design blue border. A
large, historical place is pictured
in the middle of the plate and
smaller ones in the four circles
in the border.
Asked whether she thought her
husbands new job would mean
more entertaining for them. Mrs.
Chapman said she didn't believe
so because the social pattern for
the Presidents official family is
set by the Chief Executive and his
family, and the Trumans have
abolished official entertaining
while living at Blair House.