Vol. 19, No. 5	Sept. 30, 1999

Chap Tyler featured in September's 'GQ'

When GQ: Gentlemen's Quarterly put together a special supplement on aging in its September 1999 issue, it seemed only natural to include the likes of Dick Clark, who the magazine tagged "a paragon of preservation," and John Glenn, who the magazine says "has grown old gracefully by following the simple yet effective strategy pioneered by Red Buttons: Adopt the look of a stunned infant and stick with it."

The article further pokes fun at David Lee Roth, who has "managed to hang onto his Farrah-hair in spite of a receding hairline," and Marlon Brando, who the magazine calls "the uncautious Muhammad of Method acting [who] has become the mountain."

So who does please the editors of this magazine tagged "the ultimate authority for men's style news?" Is there a man out there who has aged with style and grace?

The answer is yes, and that man is someone near and dear to the University of Delaware-101-year-old Chap Tyler.

The retired economics engineer, continuing education faculty member, B&E lecturer and UD benefactor is included in the article modeling his favorite multi-colored Shetland sweater, one so admired by the women at his Cokesbury Village retirement community that he calls it "my pickup sweater."

Tyler, who authored the book, Building for Success in Business: Your Midlife Career at the age of 98 and who has just completed a new book, View from Age 100, says his recipe for longevity is simple: "Don't retire-ever."

A proponent of regular medical checkups, Tyler also concedes that it may take the right genetics to make a centenarian.

Tyler told the magazine he regularly wakes up between 6 and 7 a.m., has breakfast at 8 a.m. and reads three newspapers each day. Two or three days a week he attends fitness classes. On the others, he attends to business and personal correspondence and finance. After lunch, he takes a short walk or a short nap and spends more time reading.

He describes dinner as a "two-hour social event with 200 to 300 who live in Cokesbury Village (in Hockessin)." In the evenings, Tyler said he may watch a movie and is in bed between 9 and 10 p.m.

Tyler also told the magazine his favorite food is broiled scrod, his favorite author is Ernest Hemingway and said, "I won't discuss my sex life, such as it is."

-Beth Thomas