Robert William Chapman (1881-1960) studied at the University of St. Andrew's and at Oriel College, Oxford, where he was taught by Gilbert Murray. He subsequently served in Macedonia from 1915-1918. As well as various academic appointments at Oxford, Cambridge and Yale, Chapman held positions as assistant Secretary to Charles Cannan at the Clarendon Press, as Secretary to the Delegates of the Oxford University Press, and was a Council member of the Oxford Bibliographical Society and of the Friends of the Bodleian Library. He was also a founding member of the Society for Pure English and a prolific contributor to the Times literary supplement and the Review of English studies.

For a discussion of Chapman's involvement in the discovery of Boswell's papers at Fettercairn, see David Buchanan, The Treasure of Anchinleck (New York &c., 1974).