Origin
Christine Chapel was born in Ohio. She studied medicine at Starfleet Academy where she met Doctor Robert Korby. She and Korby fell in love and were engaged to be married when his ship was lost while investigating the planet Exo III. It was at this time that Chapel was assigned aboard the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise. When the Enterprise finally reached Exo III they found Corby but he turned out to be an android. He ended up destroying himself.
Character Creation
Chapel was created during the original Star Trek television show. The actress that played Chapel was Majel Barrett. Barrett also played Number One in the original pilot of the show. The producers did not like having a female first officer or an Alien (Spock). The creator of the show Gene Roddenberry knew he had to get rid of one of the characters and joked he kept one and married the other. Majel Barrett became Majel Barrett Roddenberry.
After the Star Trek show was picked up. Majel wanted the part of the nurse but there was concern after she was rejected as Number One. Majel came up with the idea of the blonde wig to disguise her, thus the character went to Majel Barrett.
Major Story Arc
After her first tour aboard the Enterprise Chapel got her doctorate and helped Doctor Sarah April create new medical instruments to be used aboard starships. After her doctorate she went back to the Enterprise and served as the Chief Medical Officer (C.M.O.). It was only after Leonard McCoy came back that she was replaced as C.M.O. She later transferred to Starfleet headquarters disaster control.