Claudeis Newman is perhaps better known by her nickname, Chip. Before her marriage she was called Chip Newman, and she has since been known as Chip Selby. She is the wife of American actor and writer David Selby, and the two have been together for more than six decades. Her roots are in Morgantown, West Virginia, a connection that has stayed meaningful throughout her life.
| Full name | Claudeis Newman |
|---|---|
| Known as | Chip Newman; Chip Selby |
| Spouse | David Selby |
| Married | August 10, 1963 |
| Children | Three, including Jamison Selby |
| From | Morgantown, West Virginia |
Who Is Claudeis Newman?
The name Claudeis Newman appears in formal records, but most people who know her use the name Chip. The West Virginia Encyclopedia identifies her specifically as “Claudeis ‘Chip’ Newman of Morgantown,” which establishes both her full legal name and her West Virginia origins clearly.
Readers may arrive searching her maiden name, her nickname, or her married name — all three refer to the same person. After marrying David Selby, she became known as Chip Selby, and that is the name most commonly associated with her in biographical references connected to her husband’s career.
Her Marriage to David Selby
Claudeis Newman married David Selby on August 10, 1963. By any measure, that is a long marriage — well over sixty years as of today. Both she and David have West Virginia roots, which gives their relationship a shared foundation that has remained part of their story even after they relocated to Los Angeles.
David Selby went on to become widely recognized for his roles on Dark Shadows and Falcon Crest, but the marriage predates all of that. They married young, before his acting career took shape, and the partnership has clearly been a lasting one.
Running a Children’s Musical Theater in New York
One of the most concrete things documented about Claudeis Newman’s own activities is her involvement in children’s theater. She and David Selby ran a summer children’s musical theater program in New York for ten years. The official David Selby website biography notes this directly, describing it as a shared project that occupied a significant stretch of their early years together.
The program ran during the summers, and the couple operated it for a full decade before eventually making the move to Los Angeles. No specific name for the program or formal title for either of them within it has been confirmed by available sources, but the duration alone — ten years — speaks to a sustained and serious commitment to the work.
It is a part of her history that tends to get overlooked in brief references to her as simply David Selby’s wife. Running a theater program for children over ten consecutive summers requires real effort and ongoing organization. It was a shared creative endeavor, not a passing interest.
Supporting the Arts in West Virginia
Even after settling in Los Angeles, Claudeis Newman and David Selby maintained their connection to West Virginia. The two jointly fund a Guest Artist Series at West Virginia University, a contribution that reflects an ongoing investment in the performing arts in the state where both of them have roots.
The West Virginia Encyclopedia notes this directly in its entry on David Selby, placing the Guest Artist Series alongside other facts about the couple. Supporting a university arts series is a form of cultural philanthropy that tends to benefit students, faculty, and regional audiences over many years. It is a meaningful and continuing contribution.
For readers interested in arts philanthropy or West Virginia’s cultural institutions, coverage at First Business Mag provides broader context on individuals who support regional arts and education.
The Selby Family
Claudeis Newman and David Selby have three children together. One of them, Jamison Selby, is documented as an actor. The family has been together across several decades and multiple cities, from New York during the theater years to their later life in Los Angeles.
The three-child family is consistently mentioned in biographical sources connected to David Selby, and Claudeis Newman is named as the mother in those same references. Beyond Jamison, the names of the other two children have not been confirmed by sufficiently authoritative sources.
What the record does show clearly is that Claudeis Newman has been a consistent presence — as a spouse, as a co-participant in creative projects, and as a contributor to the arts community that she and her husband have supported over many years.
