Chester Maxey was born on May 31, 1890 in Ellensburg, Washington. In 1908 he traveled to Walla Walla and began his studies at Whitman College. After graduating in 1912 he worked at the New York Bureau of Municipal Research. He then moved back to Washington, where he worked as an associate professor of political science at Western Reserve University. He finally returned to work at Whitman College as a full time professor of political science, which... he did until 1925, when he became the president of the college. His presidency lasted until 1948 and was interrupted only by his 1932 campaign for Congress. He died in 1984 in Walla Walla.