LEGENDS BOTH: Babe Ruth and Jim Chapman
Dick Jordan, who has served the U.S.
Auto Club in public/media relations and publicity capacities for almost 50
years and a member of the National Sprint Car and Midget Halls of Fame, Friday
was announced as winner of the 2018 Jim
Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.
The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest
honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the
legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named
Indy Car racing’s “most influential man” of the 1980s. Chapman died in 1996 at
age 80.
The announcement and presentation were made
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection
committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by a
vote of national media members, many of who knew Chapman, and is authorized by
the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are
eligible for consideration.
"Dick has been a friendly and reliably helpful presence at USAC
races for almost a half-century," said Knight. "Dick knew Mr. Chapman
and so he well understands the meaning of this high honor.
“Jim set the ultimate standard of professionalism, class and dignity. He
knew that solid professional relationships with journalists was important in
good times and absolutely essential in bad times.
"That’s too often missing today in a communications age where an
E-mail or text message or over-reliance on social media is incorrectly
considered ‘relationship-building.’ Jim was a true ‘people person’ and knew
nothing could replace a handshake, a face-to-face conversation, or the sound of
another person’s voice.”
The Chapman Award has three major purposes: 1. To honor Chapman's
unmatched legacy; 2. To recognize current PR practitioners who work to
Chapman's standard and in his spirit; 3. To provide inspiration for newer and
future PR representatives.
Jordan attended races with his parents in the early 1950s and saw his
first Indy 500 in 1956. He was hired by USAC in December 1968 and has worked
for the sanctioning organization continuously since, publicizing its drivers,
series and races, developing relationships with journalists around the country,
maintaining extensive statistics, writing race reports and mentoring young
racers in how to deal effectively with the media.
Now USAC's vice president of communications, Jordan's schedule has
routinely had him at more than 100 races a year. It's believed he has witnessed
more USAC events than anyone. He has been called "USAC's greatest
champion" as defined as "someone who fights for a cause."
The permanent Jim Chapman Award, currently
displayed in the IMS media center, is cast in bronze and features a classic
photo of Jim wearing his favorite navy blue double-breasted blazer and the
names of all the award recipients. The text under Jim’s photo reads:
“James P. Chapman
(1916-1996). A great man who deeply cared about country and church; family and
friends. A legend in the public relations industry who set the ultimate
standard of professionalism and excellence. A superstar who superstars
like Babe Ruth wanted at their side. A pioneer in motorsports PR who
practically invented most of what is now considered routine. A true 'People
Person' who knew a mutually-respectful relationship with
journalists was important in good times and essential in bad times. A mentor
kind enough to help others achieve success. A gentleman who
understood nothing could replace the sound of the human voice, a
handshake, a face-to-face meeting, a shared meal, a hand-written note of
thanks.
“All who ever have, do, or will work in
public relations stand on Mr. Chapman's shoulders.
“The true honor of the
Jim Chapman Award is not a plaque. The true honor is having one's name forever
associated with that of the great James P. Chapman. A committee of journalists
adjudged those named here worthy of this high honor.”
Established in 1991 by
media and publicists within the CART series, the Chapman Award originally
focused on achievement in CART. After a hiatus of several years, the award was
resumed in 2004, with eligibility expanded to anyone working in racing PR.
Chapman, who was born in Macon, Georgia, started as sports editor or
managing editor of several Southern newspapers before joining the New York
Times. He entered the PR business in 1946, as regional PR director
for Ford Motor Co. in Detroit.
Soon thereafter, Chapman hired Ruth as consultant to the automaker’s
sponsorship of American Legion Junior Baseball. They traveled together for more
than two years for personal appearances and became close friends. Chapman was
at Ruth’s bedside when he died in August 1948 and then officially announced
Ruth’s death to the press corps that had maintained an around-the-clock vigil
at New York’s Memorial Hospital.
Chapman
kept with him a money clip with a pockmarked silver dollar that Ruth used to
carry during games for good luck. Chapman said Ruth had used the coin for
target practice. He proudly showcased several photos of Ruth in his
office. One was inscribed: "To a
pal that is a pal." Chapman also displayed a framed letter, written on
Ruth's personal stationery from Memorial Hospital, dated July 13, 1948,
inviting him to the July 26 premier of the film, The Babe Ruth Story.
That letter read, in part, "That evening would not be complete without
your being my guest. To you, Jimmy, I
say you must be with me that evening."
In 1950, Chapman left Ford to start his own PR firm. One of his first
clients was Avis founder Warren Avis. Chapman devoted much of his time to
financial PR, which he once called his “favorite form of PR,” and helped
companies get recognition among analysts and even gain admission to the New
York and American stock exchanges.
Chapman’s first venture into motorsports was in 1951, when he joined
with NASCAR founder Bill France to promote the Motor City 250. The race was
part of Detroit’s 250th birthday celebration, a Chapman client. In
1967, Chapman entered Indy Car racing with client Ozzie Olson’s Olsonite
sponsorship of Dan Gurney’s team, which later featured Bobby Unser as driver.
“Jim was one of the most innovative and imaginative PR men ever to grace
a pit lane,” said Gurney, who died earlier this year. “Jim practically invented
most of what is now considered routine sponsor PR work. He was the first, as far
as I know, who thought of putting up a sponsor hospitality tent alongside a
racetrack (at the old Riverside International Raceway), filling it with
extravagant race car ice-sculptures, beautiful food and beautiful people from
the business, sports and movie industries. He started an ‘open house’ tradition
in Ozzie’s hotel suite in Indianapolis, where journalists could rub shoulders
with John Wayne or (astronaut) Scott Carpenter.”
Chapman also directed Olsonite’s sponsorship of the Driver of the Year
award. He orchestrated all the details, including the media panel voting, and
an annual luncheon at New York City’s famed ‘21’ Club. That gathering was
considered so prestigious it was routinely attended by leaders of all the major
U.S. sanctioning organizations regardless of what series the Driver of the Year
competed in.
Chapman’s greatest professional acclaim came from 1981-1992, as director
of CART series sponsor PPG Industries’ program. Chapman was instrumental in
raising PPG’s prize fund from $250,000 to more than $3.75 million at the time
of his retirement in February 1993. The all-female PPG Pace Car Driving Team
was another Chapman innovation, as were the PPG Editors’ Days, when he brought
business and feature writers to the tracks for lunch, pace car rides, and
driver interviews.
In 1982,
Chapman negotiated a landmark sponsorship for PPG with then- Indianapolis Motor
Speedway President Joe Cloutier, which formally made the Indy 500 a
points-paying event in the PPG Indy Car World Series, an arrangement that
continued through the 1995 season. “That was one of the most satisfying moments
of my career,” Chapman recalled. “Roger Penske, among others, told me it was
the best thing that had ever happened to CART.” In addition to a major contribution
to the prize fund, PPG later became sponsor of the $100,000 Indy 500 pole
award, and paid a special winner’s bonus in the early years of NASCAR’s
Brickyard 400.
In its
obituary, the New York Times wrote that Chapman "served as a father
confessor to many top racing drivers." Two-time Indy 500 winner and PPG
Cup champion Al Unser Jr. said on behalf of his fellow drivers, "With Jim,
when he says ‘jump,’ we just ask ‘how high? And we do it right then.”
Indy Car Racing magazine named Chapman the sport’s “most
influential” man of the 1980s, saying he turned “a public relations assignment
into an art form.” After his retirement, Chapman continued to consult PPG, and
agreed to Mario Andretti’s personal request that he serve as honorary chairman
of Andretti’s “Arrivederci, Mario” farewell tour in 1994.
Chapman's
professional achievements earned him vast recognition. The mayors of Detroit and Long Beach, Calif.,
presented him proclamations and the key to each city. In 1993, Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh named him
Sagamore of the Wabash, the state's highest honor. He served as president
and/or director of more than 30 Michigan and Detroit-area civic and charitable
organizations. Chapman became active in
the civil rights movement in the 1950s and represented the Detroit Urban League
and United Negro College Fund in several controversial situations. He admitted to shedding "buckets of
tears of joy" when Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American driver
to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1991.
To allow
those in the media and industry not at IMS to see the permanent Chapman Award,
Knight announced it will be relocated to the new ISM Raceway media center in
Phoenix this November, and be displayed there throughout the 2019 season.
JIM CHAPMAN AWARD HONOREES:
1991 – Michael Knight
1992 – Tom Blattler
1993-94 – Deke Houlgate and Hank Ives
1995 – Kathi Lauterbach
1996 – Marc Spiegel
1997 – Mike Zizzo
1998 – Tamy Valkosky
1999 -- Carol Wilkins
2000-2003 – (Award not presented)
2004 – Doug Stokes
2005 – Susan Arnold
2006 – Kevin Kennedy
2007 – Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson
2008 – Judy Stropus
2009 – (Award not
presented)
2010 -- Jim Hunter
2011 -- Bill York
2012 -- Judy Kouba Dominick and Nancy Wager
2013 -- Anne Fornoro
2014 -- Jon Edwards and Elon Werner
2015 -- Linda Vaughn (honorary)
2015 -- David Ferroni
2016 -- T.E. McHale and Dan Layton
2017 -- Andy Hall
2018 -- Dick Jordan
