the son of Congressman Samuel Hooper. Retirement from General Court In 1886, Chappelle was opposed for renomination by African-American City Councilman William O. Armstrong. Though Chappelle was strongly urged to run for a fifth term, he retired. Republican State Committee Chappelle served three one-year terms on the state committee of the Massachusetts Republican Party, representing Boston's Fifth Ward from 1889. In his third term the president of the state committee in Boston, Massachusetts and was the first African-American in this position. He was active in the Massachusetts State House politics of that time. Chappelle also served as an alternate delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Post-legislative career In 1886, Chappelle was appointed as an Inspector at Elections. In early August 1890, Chappelle spoke about the right of blacks to vote in every United States state, to an "enthusiastic" meeting in Boston's Faneuil Hall to support the Federal Elections Bill:"I regret the occasion of such a meeting as this for the reason that the principles of this bill were placed upon the Republican platform when we nominated our present President, and who, in this message to Congress, recommended the principles of such a measure. We hear through the Independent and Democratic press that there is a sufficient number of weak-kneed Republicans to defeat the passage of this bill and am pleased to find so many of our leading business men willing to support it. These same independent papers seem to be in direct opposition to anything that will tend to give the Negro a fair chance. In the days of slavery, they were opposed to freedom and are now opposed to our obtaining our rights. This bill should have passed 25 years ago. We would not have been subjected to the treatment received now. The North and South have always had trouble and will continue to do so until every man has his rights. The vote of the Negro must be counted with as much honesty in South Carolina as any white man's in Massachusetts." Criticisms of Republican Party After serving in political office, Chappelle tried to obtain an appointed position in Washington, D.C., but he was not considered or mentioned for a position. Massachusetts Senators Henry L. Dawes and George Frisbie Hoar were criticized for not doing more to gain political appointments for the several African-American office holders in Massachusetts. It was said that the white Republican