Chase was born on March 15, 1844, in
Unity, Maine. His parents were
Freewill Baptists. At age 18 Chase enrolled at the
Maine State Seminary and graduated from the Seminary program in 1864. He then enrolled in the college program at
Bates College, graduating in 1868. After graduation he taught at the
New Hampton Literary Institute, eventually returning to teach at Bates in 1870. In the 1870s, in pursuit his life's work, he returned to Lewiston and enrolled in the theological school, which later became a part of the college's religion department. Meanwhile, the Bates offered him a professorship of Greek and he spent the next year teaching and pursuing his studies in theology. After his spell teaching Greek he moved to teaching English. He received several honorary degrees including
University of New Brunswick and
Bowdoin College. In 1872, he married Emma F. Millett, a former member of the Bates College's first graduating class. They had five children: George, Emma, Muriel, Elizabeth and Caroline. Chase died at his home in
Lewiston, Maine, on May 27, 1919, at the age of 75. == Legacy ==