Pat Chappelle
Pat Chappelle, born Patrick Henry Chappelle on January 7, 1869, in Jacksonville, Florida, was a theater owner and entrepreneur who founded The Rabbit's Foot Company, the first traveling vaudeville show owned and run by African-Americans. He became a leading figure in Black entertainment and was praised as the “Pioneer of Negro Vaudeville” and the “black P. T. Barnum.” He was the only African American to operate a traveling show made up entirely of Black performers.
Pat was the son of Lewis and Anna Chappelle, former slaves from South Carolina. The family helped develop the LaVilla neighborhood in Jacksonville, a hub of African-American culture. Pat learned guitar, piano, and especially the banjo, left school after the fourth grade, and played in traveling bands. He earned bookings with prominent vaudeville circuits and performed in Florida.
In 1898 he organized the Imperial Colored Minstrels and opened Excelsior Hall, the first Black-owned theater in the South, which seated about 500 and also sold whiskey. He survived a violent mob attack outside the saloon, saved by a guard ordered by the Provost Marshal.
He moved to Tampa in 1899, opening the Buckingham Theatre Saloon and the Mascotte. He faced liquor-license troubles, but the charges were resolved.
In 1900, Pat launched The Rabbit's Foot Company with R. S. Donaldson, planning to travel in their own private train and perform in tents and theatres. The venture grew, with a circuit in Savannah, Jacksonville, Tampa, and other cities. By 1904–1905 the company was described as the leading Negro show in America, offering minstrels, dancers, drama, and even opera, with parades that drew large crowds.
Pat also ran an all-Black baseball team that toured with the show. A 1908 Pullman car fire caused significant damage and financial loss, but the show continued. He battled high railroad transportation rates and sued railroads over charges.
Around 1906 he married Rosa Brooks; they had no children. He invested in real estate and became one of Jacksonville’s wealthier Black citizens.
In 1910 Pat fell ill and spent time recovering in Georgia and Atlanta. He later traveled to Europe on the RMS Lusitania, planning retirement. He died on October 21, 1911, at his home in LaVilla, aged 42. His estate ultimately went to Rosa after a 1916 Florida Supreme Court ruling.
After Pat’s death, the Rabbit's Foot Company was sold to white promoter Fred S. Wolcott in 1912. The show continued on tour, though it was no longer the original all-Black, authentic vaudeville act. A Mississippi historic marker now commemorates the company’s role in the region’s blues history.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:05 (CET).