Marianne Mathewson-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. Her older brother Joseph is a retired colonel of the California Army National Guard, and her sister-in-law was a lieutenant colonel.

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. In 1972, she left the navy to continue her civilian education. She joined the United States National Guard in 1975 and served in California, Pennsylvania, and Florida. 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.

While still serving in the National Guard, Mathewson-Chapman became an assistant professor in the faculty of nursing at the University of Florida. On May 15, 2000, she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of major general in the Army National Guard. As well, she became the first Florida National Guard general officer to be appointed to a national military position at The Pentagon.

Mathewson-Chapman retired from the army on October 1, 2002, , she serves as the Outreach Coordinator to Guard/Reserve in the VHA OEF/OIF Outreach Office Administration.