J. Richard Chase (1930–2010) was the sixth president of

Biola University Biola University () is a private, nondenominational, evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, California. It was founded in 1908 as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. It has over 150 programs of study in nine schools offering bachelor's ...

in California from 1970 to 1982 and the sixth President of

Wheaton College Wheaton College may refer to: * Wheaton College (Illinois), a private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois * Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Wheaton College is a private liberal arts college in Norton, Massachus ...

in Illinois from 1982 to 1993.

Early life and education

J. Richard Chase grew up on a dairy farm in

Oxnard, California Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately west ...

and graduated from

. Biola President Samuel Sutherland mentored Chase, and Chase married Sutherland's daughter in 1950. He graduated from Biola in 1951 with a degree in theology, and then attended

Pepperdine University Pepperdine University () is a private research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ with its main campus in Los Angeles County, California. Pepperdine's main campus consists of 830 acres (340 ha) overlooking the Pacific Ocean and th ...

, where he received a bachelor's and master's degree. Chase graduated with a Ph.D. in speech from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

Career

Chase taught at Biola in the speech department while leading a church in Hollywood, before being appointed president of the university in 1970. After serving as President of Biola for twelve years, Chase was appointed as president of Wheaton College in 1982 where he served as president for eleven years, seeking to attract students from around the world and maintain the university's academic standards and biblical values. He retired in 1993, succeeded by

Duane Litfin A. Duane Litfin (born 1943) is an American academic administrator and evangelical minister. He was the seventh president of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Early life and education Litfin was born on November 14, 1945. He holds an undergrad ...

. Chase's tenure at Wheaton was notable for his fundraising successes but also for a censorship controversy in 1990 where several students were suspended or expelled for publishing an off-color underground newspaper. After leaving Wheaton's presidency, Chase taught courses at Tyndale Seminary in the Netherlands from 1993 to 2003.

Death

Chase died on August 20, 2010, in

Carol Stream, Illinois Carol Stream is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. Carol Stream was incorporated on January 5, 1959, and named after its founder's daughter. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,854. History In ...

, after a long battle with dementia and pneumonia.

Personal life

Chase was married for 59 years to Mary (Sutherland) Chase, and had two children, Kenneth Chase and Jennifer Chase Barnard, and seven grandchildren. Chase was the great-great-nephew of American politician and jurist

Salmon P. Chase Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States. He also served as the 23rd governor of Ohio, represented Ohio in the United States Senate, a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chase, J. Richard Biola University alumni Cornell University alumni Wheaton College (Illinois) People from Oxnard, California Pepperdine University alumni Biola University faculty 1930 births 2010 deaths Historians from California