Ralph Baldwin Chapin, was born in Batavia

Batavia (city), New York

Batavia is a city in Genesee County, Western New York, USA, located near the middle of Genesee County, entirely within the Town of Batavia. Its population as of the 2000 census was 16,256...

, New York. He graduated from the MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan School of Management

The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....

  in 1937 with a degree in Business Administration and Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

. He also had business dealings in Hong Kong making flashlights. In 1945 Ralph returned to Batavia and joined the R. E. Chapin Manufacturing Works, Inc., during this time he held the position of Chairman and Treasurer

Treasurer

A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...

.

Historical significance

Sangha

Sangha

Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...

 member of the Rochester Zen Center

Rochester Zen Center

The Rochester Zen Center is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. The history of the Rochester Zen Center begins overseas with the...

 and one of the earliest American Zen practitioners. He joined the center in 1965. Longtime friend of Philip Kapleau

Philip Kapleau

Philip Kapleau was a teacher of Zen Buddhism in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition, a blending of Japanese Sōtō and Rinzai schools.-Early life:...

. He is notable for his continued donations to the fledgling center in the 1960s. In 2000 he donated his family land near Batavia to the Rochester Zen Center

Rochester Zen Center

The Rochester Zen Center is a Sōtō and Rinzai Zen Buddhist sangha in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage, located in Rochester, New York and established in 1966 by Philip Kapleau. It is one of the oldest Zen centers in the United States. The history of the Rochester Zen Center begins overseas with the...

. The center immediately broke ground for the retreat center. In 2007 the zendo

Zendo

or is a Japanese term translating roughly as "meditation hall". In Zen Buddhism, the zen-dō is a spiritual dōjō where zazen is practiced...

 was finally completed and regular sesshin

Sesshin

A sesshin , literally "touching the heart-mind" , is a period of intensive meditation in a Zen monastery....

 are held there.

R.E. Chapin Manufacturing Works

Founded by his grandfather R. E. Chapin in 1884, the company originally started in the back of a hardware store in Oakfield, New York, producing kerosene

Kerosene

Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...

oil storage containers for oil lamps. Early in 1900's, after relocating to Batavia, the company began producing hand-operated garden sprayers, and today builds household, industrial and professional sprayers for worldwide distribution.