Hal Scripps Chase

Hal Scripps Chase was born in Des Moines, Iowa, March 3rd, 1943, the same day as his maternal grandfather, Harry Birkholm known as “Big” Skipper, because of his career as the captain of maritime ships on the US west coast. Hence, Hal grew up as “Skipper” to his family and friends.

Hal’s mother, Barbara Cox Birkholm, the oldest child of Elsie Cox and Harry Birkholm, was born Oct. 28th, 1915, in Seattle, but grew up in California. She met Hal’s father, Harry Scripps Chase II, in Des Moines when she visited an aunt in about 1937. They married in Feb. 1938 and had their first child, Lynda, Dec. 11th, 1938 and their 2nd, Barbara Jan. 23rd, 1941. Hence, Hal grew up and was “schooled” by his older sisters.

Hal’s earliest memories dated to his room at 2506 Grand Ave., a big house built by his great-grandfather, Harry Scripps Chase & great-grandmother, Clara Iowa Givin. Hal’s parents divorced in 1949 and two years later his mother met and married Bill Fairleigh from Louisville, KY who lived and worked for Schenley Distilleries in Frankfort. So, Hal, Lynda & Barbara moved to 510 Shelby St. where he grew up till he was 18 surrounded by legal segregation and his identity as a “Yankee,” “Damn Yankee,” or worse according to his white classmates at Murray St. elementary and 2nd St. Middle School which led to more than a few fistfights with them but also a life-long friendship with John Allen Sykes, an age-mate who saw beyond Hal’s complexion. These experiences, coupled with coming of age during the Civil Rights movement, informed Hal’s world view, deep commitment to social justice, and vocation as a professor of African-American Studies and American History.

In the 8th grade, Hal was enrolled in the Kentucky Military Institute near Louisville where he encountered military life & routine and living outside the family home in preparation for attending The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey for 2 years where he learned more than a little about so-called status and class and earned modest grades for his first year which inspired his proposal to his mother that he get to return to Frankfort High School IF he attained & maintained a place on the Honor Roll for his second year. His mother laughed out loud which spurred Hal’s ambition and led to his return to Frankfort in 1959 where, in the spring of 1961, he met Avril Laughlin, the daughter of Robert “Bob” and Mabel Laughlin. Bob was a Presbyterian minister who had moved his family to Frankfort from N. Ireland. That fall Hal entered Washington & Lee U. in Lexington, VA. Two years later Avril joined him at nearby Mary Baldwin College and they married on Dec. 27, 1963. In 1965, they both were admitted to Stanford Univ., Hal for a M.A. in History and Avril for her Bachelors in Psychology.

After earning their degrees, they moved to Pottstown, PA where Hal taught History at The Hill School and Avril founded a pre-school program at a local Presbyterian Church and gave birth to Heather in 1967. That fall they moved to East Lansdowne, PA where Hal pursued a Ph.D. at the U. of Pennsylvania in American Civilization and Avril gave birth to Parker in 1968. That summer the four of them briefly moved to Washington, D.C. where Hal began research on his dissertation before returning to Des Moines and employment at West Bank while Avril cared for their two young children. In the summer of 1970 the four of them moved back to Washington, D. C. where Hal had been hired as Director of Admissions at Mount Vernon College for women, and where Avril gave birth to Spencer in May, 1973, the same year that Hal finished his dissertation and earned his doctorate. That fall, they all moved to Durham, NC for a one-year job at N.C. Central Univ. that led to another one-year job at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa and yet another one-year job at the U. of Maryland-College Park. These jobs all led to a tenure-track position at Ball State U. in Muncie, IN where Ashley was born, where Avril earned her B.S.N. and Hal was chosen for a Fulbright Fellowship to Yaounde, Cameroon in 1979-80, one of the best years of their life. After returning to Muncie, Hal was selected for several other summer jobs that took him back to Africa, which ended when he took the opportunity to make the family’s last move to Des Moines in 1989 where Avril was hired by Mercy Hospital and Hal by Des Moines Area Community College until his retirement in 2009. Hal also spent countless hours in the Winterset community where he relished his many connections with friends and colleagues from Farmers & Merchants State Bank and the community at large.

From 1996 to 2001, Hal was one of 39 contributors who created for no pay or royalties Outside In: African-American History in Iowa, 1838-2000. The compilation of this book, which Hal coordinated, led to twenty years of traveling all over Iowa presenting an 18-minute recorded video he created on the “highlights” of African-American History in Iowa funded by Humanities Iowa.

A passionate competitor and talented athlete, Hal “loved to tackle” and excelled in college football, swimming and baseball until he discovered rugby in graduate school, founding teams wherever his work took him and playing well into his fifties. An avid runner, one of Hal’s favorite activities was looking for coins that he termed “pennies from heaven,” as he ran his training loops. He ran many marathons, including the Marine Corps and Chicago marathons multiple times, competed in master’s swimming events, and completed several triathlons. Hal was also an avid hunter, with a special place in his heart for chasing turkeys on his farm in Madison County, Iowa.

In November 2020, Avril passed away after 57 years of marriage to Hal. Two years later, Hal met Nicola Dance at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral where she served as Acting Dean while raising three daughters: Charlotte, Eliza and Zara. In September, 2023 Nicola was installed as Dean and she and Hal were married there on April 14, 2024. Since then they have been blessed to live at 2 SW 58th Drive with Clio and Herman, their chocolate Labrador retrievers, until Hal’s death on May 22nd, 2025.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Harry Scripps Chase II, and Barbara Birkholm Clay; his sister Lynda Chase; and his wife Avril Laughlin Chase.

Hal is survived by his second wife: Nicola Dance Chase; his four children: Heather Mabis Chase, Parker Laughlin Chase (Celia), Spencer David Chase (Helen, deceased), and Ashley Chase Kilburg (Jeff); his seven grandchildren: Colin and Kelsey Chase (Parker & Celia); Aidan and Mia Chase (Spencer & Helen); Jackson, Carter, and Chase Kilburg (Ashley and Jeff); sisters Barbara Sanburg (Larry), and Catherine Chase.

Memorial gifts in Hal’s honor are invited to the Winterset Community Education Foundation (P.O. Box 30, Winterset, IA 50273), St. Paul’s 1885 Building Revitalization Project (stpaulsdm.org), the Des Moines Rugby Club (desmoinesrugbyclub.com), and I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa (worldiniowa.org).

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.caldwellparrish.com