List of Recurring The Simpsons Characters - Superintendent Chalmers

Superintendent Chalmers

Superintendent Gary Chalmers, voiced by Hank Azaria, is the superintendent of Springfield's school district. He first appears in the episode "Whacking Day". Chalmers is a strict and largely humorless man, with a short temper and low tolerance for disorder or rule-breaking; his general manner and personality are like those of a military officer. Whenever he visits Springfield Elementary, some sort of disaster strikes. He produces extreme anxiety in Principal Skinner, who offers increasingly improbable stories to explain what is happening. He is also known for seeming to be in complete disbelief of these improbable stories, but ultimately winds up actually believing them, teasing Skinner and the audience that he may actually take some action. Chalmers is known for throwing open the doors to the room and bellowing "SKIN-NER!!!" or "SEY-MOUR!!!", to which Seymour stammers "S-Superintendent Chalmers!" His catchphrase has caused some paranoia in Skinner (as seen in "Lisa's Date with Density"). On a few occasions, he says Skinner's name this way when absolutely nothing has gone wrong, implying that he either pronounces Skinner's name this way by habit, or does it on purpose to scare him. In Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words, he even pronounces the words "skimmer" and "dinner" in a similar manner to Skinner's name, who mistakes it as Chalmers wanting his attention. However, Chalmers does on at least two occasions show a fondness for Skinner. In "The Debarted", both Skinner and Chalmers are lost in the foam of a massive explosion resulting from the mixture of Mentos and Diet Coke, he screams Skinner's name and upon not receiving an answer, says it again in a softer manner. Skinner then replies to which Chalmers tells him in a frightened voice, "Don't ever scare me like that again." More notable, in How Munched is That Birdie in the Window?, when Edna uses a pigeon to taunt Skinner about how much better her life is without him, Chalmers shows compassion for Skinner and even offers his friendship, but unfortunately, Edna reveals that she had an affair with Chalmers, leaving Skinner angry and forcing Chalmers to flee. In "Lisa Simpson, This Isn't Your Life", it is revealed that Chalmers has nothing personal against Skinner and that he is aware that the antics within the school are a result of the students' reckless nature and the teachers' indifference, but he can only scold Skinner because he would have to face the ire of the parents or of the teachers' union if he tries to chastise anyone other than Skinner.

Chalmers' own competence and dedication to his job are questionable. He lets Ned Flanders allow the school to descend into anarchy when he (Flanders) is principal, freely admitting that he had fired Skinner for far less, explaining simply that "Skinner really bugged me." He seems disturbingly unconcerned with the school's decline, stating that American public schools are already on the decline and will most likely end up just like Springfield Elementary (or worse) and tells Bart to sit back and enjoy the ride (though Chalmers does fire Flanders for mentioning God in a public school). He also promotes people based on personal bias as opposed to actual competence, promoting Principal Holloway, described by Skinner as a "drunk" and by Chalmers as a "pill-popper", to assistant superintendent after getting run over by a tractor driven by Bart and blaming Skinner for letting it happen. In the episode "22 Short Films About Springfield", he mentions he is from Utica, New York (though "The Old Man and the 'C' Student" revealed that he was from Intercourse, Pennsylvania). He has also mentioned that he attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

In several episodes, such as "Bart the Fink", Chalmers is seen dating Agnes Skinner (much to Seymour's chagrin), although in other episodes, he mentions he is married. His first name is revealed to be Gary in "Yokel Chords" and in "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken", and it is revealed that he is a Spanish immigrant "Señor Chalmers". In the DVD commentaries to "22 Short Films About Springfield" and "Grade School Confidential", it is noted that Superintendent Chalmers seems to be one of the few "normal" characters on the show and is frequently alone in his awareness of the show's zaniness (much like one-shot character Frank Grimes from "Homer's Enemy"). In "Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts", Chalmers mentions that he was once married and is now a widower. In the episode "Replaceable You," it's implied that Chalmers wears a toupee (according to Dolph's science project, a toupee detector).

"Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts" is the first (and so-far, only) episode in which Superintendent Chalmers is given a protagonist role. In the episode, Chalmers is challenged by Principal Skinner to get Bart interested in learning, and finds it in the form of teaching him about Teddy Roosevelt. After an unauthorized school field trip, Chalmers is fired for letting Nelson fall off a cliff, but is re-hired and given the title of Super-Duper-Intendent.

In The Simpsons Movie, in addition to appearances in crowd scenes Superintendent Chalmers is shown in attendance at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting on Day 97 under the Dome. He is one of those who panics when a book thrown from outside the meeting room smashes through a window and knocks over the Bunn-type coffee maker, apparently destroying the last of AA's coffee supply in Springfield.