Sir Joseph Amable Thomas Chapais, FRSC (March 23, 1858 – July 15, 1946) was a French Canadian author, editor, historian, journalist, professor, and politician.Born in Saint-Denis, Quebec (then Canada East), the son of Jean-Charles Chapais, a Father of Canadian Confederation, and Henriette-Georgina Dionne, he received a Bachelor's degree in 1876 from Université Laval and was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1879.From 1879 to 1884, he was the Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Théodore Robitaille.