Chapman takes no blame for house cost

FARGO — Former North Dakota State University President Joseph Chapman accepts no blame for NDSU’s president house controversy in a recent national interview and calls the magnitude of the cost overruns “amazing.”

The former North Dakota State University president did an interview on the $2.07 million house with the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Jim Miller, executive director of the NDSU Development Foundation, which managed the project, said he didn’t have a comment on the interview.

“I think Dr. Chapman is entitled to his perspective,” Miller said.

The story does not mention that Chapman’s wife, Gale, and his administrative assistant, Cathy Backer, were members of a committee that made decisions about the house.

In documents explaining why the price of the president’s house more than doubled, Miller said the Chapmans pressured the architect to fast-track the project, driving up the costs.

Architect Terry Stroh has said Gale Chapman asked for the so-called bonus room above the garage, which added $120,000 to the project cost.

A document written by university system attorney Pat Seaworth said Chapman did not let officials know about the cost overruns or the use of NDSU dollars for the project.

In Chapman’s resignation letter, he asked for a full audit of the house project. That audit is still ongoing.

Amy Dalrymple is a reporter at The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which is owned by Forum Communications Co.

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