John Chase

John Chase (December 10, 1856 – May 3, 1918) was an American medical doctor and commander of the Colorado National Guard. He was the commander of the Colorado National Guard in several of the most significant confrontations between American military forces and organized labor — the Colorado Labor Wars of 1903-1904, Colorado Coalfield War, and the Ludlow Massacre of April 1914. He was a graduate of the University of Michigan where he played college football for the 1879 Michigan Wolverines football team, the first football team to represent the University of Michigan, and was captain of the 1880 team. Early years Chase was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1856. His father, John Manley Chase, was a New York native and a civil engineer who surveyed the site of Lansing, Michigan, and served as one of the first treasurers of the University of Michigan. His mother was Elvira L (Ludden) Chase. At the time of the 1860 United States Census, Chase lived with his parents and two older siblings in Ann Arbor. His father's occupation was listed at the time as a farmer, and the value of his real estate was listed as $5,000. Chase was educated in the Ann Arbor public schools and graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1875. Chase enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1875. He played college football for the 1879 Michigan Wolverines football team, the first football team to represent the University of Michigan, and was captain of the 1880 team. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1879 and a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1881. Medical practice Chase practiced medicine in Detroit, Michigan, from 1881 to 1884. From 1884 to 1885, Chase traveled in Europe where he continued his studies in diseases of the eye and ear. After contracting typhoid fever, he returned to the United States. Chase moved to Colorado in 1885 and established a medical practice specializing in diseases of the eye. In 1887, Chase was one of the organizers of Gross Medical College, which was later consolidated with Denver Medical College. He was subsequently affiliated with the University of Denver and the University of Colorado, where he served as a professor of ophthalmology and otology. Chase also had investments in the mining industry in Gunnison, Boulder and Chaffee Counties, and ranching operations in Douglas County.