Marianne Mathewson-Chapman
BornSabetha, Kansas
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchArmy National Guard
Years of service1975–2002
RankMajor General
Battles/warsGulf War
AwardsLegion of Merit
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (2)
Army Commendation Medal (2)
Army Achievement Medal
Alma materUniversity of Florida
Spouse(s)Robert Peter Chapman

Marianne Mathewson-Chapman is a career nurse and retired major general in the United States Army National Guard. She was the first female to be promoted to the rank of major general in the Army National Guard.

Early life

Mathewson-Chapman was born in Sabetha, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University.[1] Her older brother Joseph is a retired colonel of the California Army National Guard, and her sister-in-law was a lieutenant colonel.[2]

Military career

Upon finishing nursing school, Mathewson-Chapman went to San Diego to work with the United States Navy in helping returning prisoners of war from Vietnam.[3] In 1972, she left the navy to continue her civilian education.[4] She joined the United States National Guard in 1975 and served in California, Pennsylvania, and Florida.[2] By 1992, she was promoted to chief nurse.[5] Mathewson-Chapman was deployed as a nurse in the medical corps during the Gulf War. She participated in Operation Desert Storm as part of a medical team that supervised the establishment of 44 hospitals.[3] On October 1, 1998, Mathewson-Chapman was promoted to Deputy Surgeon General/Special Assistant with the Army National Guard.[6]

While still serving in the National Guard, Mathewson-Chapman became an assistant professor in the faculty of nursing at the University of Florida.[4] She also led the first interagency integrated program at 63 National Guard/Reserve demobilization sites, developed the first outreach program for Individual Ready Reserve members, and established a combat veteran call center.[7] On May 15, 2000, she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of major general in the Army National Guard.[8] As well, she became the first Florida National Guard general officer to be appointed to a national military position at The Pentagon.[4] That year, she was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.[9]

Mathewson-Chapman retired from the army on October 1, 2002,[6] but stayed involved in army advocacy by sitting as vice-chair on the National Army Guard Equal Opportunity Committee.[1] While in the United States Army Reserve, she also became the special assistant to the director of the Army National Guard in Washington and nurse executive for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.[10] As of 2011, she serves as the Outreach Coordinator to Guard/Reserve in the VHA OEF/OIF Outreach Office Administration.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Mg Marianne Mathewson-Chapman, Ph.D." flwomenshalloffame.org. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Haskell, Bob (Fall 2000). "Chapman is Guard's first female Major General" (PDF). ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu. p. 11. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Harkas, Margo (June 7, 1998). "WOMEN MAKING A DIFFERENCE". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c John Daigle Jr. (2000). "Nurse Becomes First Florida Guard Woman General" (PDF). Guardsman. p. 4. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  5. ^ "Multiculturalism in the Armed Forces in the 20th Century" (PDF). loc.gov. p. 15. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "MAJOR GENERAL MARIANNE MATHEWSON-CHAPMAN". nationalguard.mil. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  7. ^ "Gator Nurse Greats- LEAD". alumni.nursing.ufl.edu. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  8. ^ Carolyn M. Feller; Debora R. Cox (September 7, 2016). Highlights in the History of the Army Nurse Corps. Center of Military History (U S Army). p. 75. ISBN 9780160933325. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  9. ^ McLeod, Michael (November 22, 2000). "PAULA HAWKINS ENTERS WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  10. ^ "KU ROTC commissions 22 new officers in joint ceremony". archive.news.ku.edu. June 4, 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  11. ^ "National Training Summit on Women Veterans" (PDF). va.gov. 2011. pp. 27–28. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
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