 Rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel by 1945, Chidsey served in a variety of administrative positions in Washington, D.C. and developed educational materials for the wartime Army.After World War II, Chidsey briefly served as assistant dean of students of the University of Chicago, with supervision over undergraduate activities.In 1946 a group of prominent Houstonians invited Chidsey to their city to discuss the establishment of a coeducational private school.