Chalmers originally hails from Utica, New York,[2] but has also said that he comes from Queens, New York[3], Mexico (in a deleted scene) and then moved to Intercourse, Pennsylvania[4]. He attended Ball State University and is a proud owner of a red 1979 Honda Accord (and later, a Camry, which Otto Mann promptly wrecks). In the episode How the Test Was Won, Skinner mentions that Chalmers has a daughter.
Chalmers is a strict, no-nonsense, and largely humorless man, with a short temper and low tolerance for disorder or rule-breaking; his general manner and personality like that of a military officer. Whenever he visits Springfield Elementary, some sort of disaster strikes. He produces extreme anxiety in Principal Skinner, who offers increasingly improbable stories to explain what is happening. Chalmers is known for throwing open the doors to the room and bellowing "SKINNER!!!" or "SEYMOUR!!!", to which Seymour stammers, "S-Superintendent Chalmers!" His catchphrase has caused some paranoia in Skinner.[5] On a few occasions, he says Skinner's name (or in one case, words pronounced similarly to "Skinner" such as "Skimmers"[6]) this way when absolutely nothing has gone wrong, implying that he either pronounces Skinner's name this way by habit, or does it on purpose to scare him.
Chalmers' own competence and dedication to his job are questionable. He let Ned Flanders allow the school to descend into anarchy when he was principal, freely admitting that he had fired Skinner for far less, explaining simply that "Skinner really bugged me." In fact, the only reason Chalmers even allowed Skinner to be reinstated as Principal that time was because Ned Flanders introduced prayer into the school (because Chalmers feels that religion should never be placed within school walls, just as facts don't have a place within an organized religion). When asked about Skinner's reinstatement, he said simply, "Ehh, he seems to know the students' names." Chalmers seems disturbingly unconcerned with the school's decline, saying that "the way America's public schools are sliding, they'll all be like this in a matter of months. I say enjoy it — it's a hell of a toboggan ride!" He also promotes people based on personal bias as opposed to actual competence, promoting Principal Holloway, described by Skinner as a "drunk" and Chalmers as a "pill-popper", to assistant superintendent, overlooking the efforts made by Skinner to improve his school's standing. Ralph called him Super Nintendo Chalmers, which he makes a confused facial expression at. He says anything that ends with inner or nner, he would raise his tone, he once said "Stupid fish, don't you want to be my DINNERRRR!!!?