William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.

William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. (July 7 1920 – March 31 2017) was an American attorney and judge who served as the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation from March 7 1975 to January 20 1977. A pioneering civil‑rights lawyer, he played a key role in landmark Supreme Court cases such as *Brown v. Board of Education* and *McLaughlin v. Florida*. Appointed by President Gerald Ford, Coleman became the second African American to hold a cabinet position in U.S. history. His career spanned military service, federal clerkships, corporate board memberships, and extensive involvement with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Early life and career

Coleman was born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Laura Beatrice (née Mason) Coleman and William Thaddeus Coleman Sr. His mother descended from six generations of Episcopal ministers, including an ancestor who operated a station on the Underground Railroad. The family home hosted visits from prominent African‑American intellectuals such as W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes. Growing up in a predominantly white school environment, Coleman was one of seven black students at Germantown High School. He experienced disciplinary actions during his high‑school years: he was suspended for cursing at a teacher after the instructor praised his honors presentation with a remark that “Someday, William, you will make a wonderful chauffeur,” and again when attempting to join the swim team; the team disbanded upon his return but later reformed after he graduated. A supportive swim‑team coach wrote a strong recommendation letter that helped Coleman gain admission to the University of Pennsylvania.

At the University of Pennsylvania, Coleman pursued a double major in political science and economics before graduating summa cum laude with a B.A. in history in 1941. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa society and Pi Gamma Mu international honor society that same year, and he joined Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. After receiving an offer from Harvard Law School, Coleman deferred his legal studies to enlist in the United States Army Air Forces in 1943. Although he did not join the Tuskegee Airmen, he served as a defender of accused personnel in courts‑martial during World War II. Following the war, he returned to Harvard Law, where he became the third black staff member accepted to the Harvard Law Review and graduated first in his class, magna cum laude, in 1946.

Coleman began his legal career in 1947 as a law clerk for Judge Herbert F. Goodrich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter in 1948, becoming the first African American to serve as a Supreme Court law clerk. In 1949 he joined the New York firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. There, Thurgood Marshall recruited him as one of the lead strategists and co‑author of the legal brief for *Brown v. Board of Education* (1954), which resulted in the Supreme Court declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

In 1951 Coleman moved to Philadelphia to join Dilworth Paxson, where he eventually became the first African‑American lawyer admitted as a partner. His work included libel suits for *The Inquirer* and other clients, and he served on the board of directors of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund. He remained with the firm until 1971, during which time he also held positions within the NAACP: member of its national legal committee, director and executive‑committee member, and president of the board of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Coleman’s public service extended beyond civil rights law. He was a member of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Committee on Government Employment Policy (1959–1961) and served as a consultant to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency from 1963 to 1975. In 1964 he assisted as assistant counsel to the Warren Commission, the Presidential Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy. During that investigation, Coleman was dispatched by the commission to meet with Fidel Castro on a fishing boat off the coast of Cuba; Castro denied any involvement in the assassination. The findings were reported directly to Commission Chairman Earl Warren.

Other notable legal involvements included co‑counseling for *McLaughlin v. Florida* (1964), a case that led the Supreme Court to strike down a law prohibiting an interracial couple from living together, and participation in the U.S. delegation to the twenty‑fourth session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1969. He also served on the National Commission on Productivity (1971–1972) and sat on corporate boards for PepsiCo, IBM, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Pan American World Airways. In 1973 he became the first Black member of the Union League of Philadelphia.

Cabinet tenure

President Gerald Ford appointed Coleman to the United States Department of Transportation on March 7 1975, making him the fourth Secretary of Transportation and the second African American to serve in a U.S. cabinet position. The Senate confirmed his appointment. He served until January 20 1977, when the Ford administration concluded.

During Coleman's tenure, several initiatives were undertaken by the Department. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s automobile test facility at East Liberty, Ohio, began operations under his leadership. The department also established the Materials Transportation Bureau to address pipeline safety and the safe shipment of hazardous materials. In February 1976 Coleman authorized a testing period for the supersonic Concorde jet; flights commenced on May 24 of that year. After the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey banned the jet, the U.S. Supreme Court restored Coleman's authorization.

In December 1976, Coleman faced pressure from consumer activists regarding federal policy, though specific details of his response are not provided in the available records.

Legacy

Coleman’s career left a lasting imprint on American civil rights law and transportation policy. As a pioneering attorney, he contributed to the dismantling of institutional segregation through landmark Supreme Court cases. His service as a Supreme Court clerk and as counsel to the Warren Commission placed him at the center of pivotal moments in U.S. history.

In the realm of federal administration, Coleman’s leadership in the Department of Transportation coincided with significant developments in vehicle safety testing, hazardous materials regulation, and aviation oversight. His decision to authorize Concorde testing reflected a willingness to engage with emerging technologies while navigating regulatory challenges.

At the time of his death on March 31 2017, Coleman was recognized as the oldest living former cabinet member, underscoring the breadth of his experience across multiple administrations. His legacy is characterized by a steadfast commitment to civil rights, legal excellence, and public service at the highest levels of government.