Joseph E. Coleman
Encyclopedia
Joseph E. "Joe" Coleman was an American
politician, attorney and chemist. He was a member of the Democratic Party
.
during a time in which the southern United States was dominated by racial segregation and the Jim Crow laws
. In 1948, he became the first African-American to earn a degree from Albright College
. He went on to work as a research chemist, patent attorney and author.
, representing the eighth district.
, and resigned. Coleman became Acting Council President, and was unanimously elected to the post when Council reconvened in October. He became the first African-American elected to the post in the city's history.
As President, Coleman sought to maintain a more conciliatory atmosphere than the more combative Schwartz. Anna Verna, a close friend and colleague of Coleman's (who went on to become the City Council's first female President in 1999), characterized Coleman's leadership style as "calm". He also sought to clean-up the Council's image in the wake of Abscam, while dramatically increasing the Council's oversight of Mayoral projects and plans.
He saw-off a challenge to his presidency following the 1987 elections, when Joan Krajewski
, also a Democrat, sought to unseat him.
opponent, Coleman announced that he would not seek re-election on February 14, 1991. Herbert DeBeary, a former Democratic primary opponent of Coleman's, went on to win the election to succeed him.
home he shared with his wife, Jessie.
The Community Education Centers named its Philadelphia-area
treatment center after Coleman. The Center's clients are referred through the Pennsylvania
Deptartment of Corrections, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, or the Bucks County
Deptartment of Corrections. The Center, named Coleman Hall, provides an array of residential reentry treatment services designed to reduce recidivism. In 2002, the Philadelphia Free Library system's Northwest Regional Library, located in Germantown
, was renamed the Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library.
Albright College also created a scholarship award in Coleman's honor. The Distinguished Joseph E. Coleman Award provides financial assistance ranging from $8,000 to $12,000 to African-American students that show academic excellence as well as community and/or extracurricular involvement.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, attorney and chemist. He was a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early life
Coleman was born in 1922, and grew-up in MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
during a time in which the southern United States was dominated by racial segregation and the Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
. In 1948, he became the first African-American to earn a degree from Albright College
Albright College
Albright College is a private, co-ed, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1856 and is located in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States.-Overview:...
. He went on to work as a research chemist, patent attorney and author.
City council
In 1971, Coleman was elected to the Philadelphia City CouncilPhiladelphia City Council
The Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number...
, representing the eighth district.
Presidency
In June of 1980, incumbent Council President George Schwartz was implicated in the Abscam scandalAbscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
, and resigned. Coleman became Acting Council President, and was unanimously elected to the post when Council reconvened in October. He became the first African-American elected to the post in the city's history.
As President, Coleman sought to maintain a more conciliatory atmosphere than the more combative Schwartz. Anna Verna, a close friend and colleague of Coleman's (who went on to become the City Council's first female President in 1999), characterized Coleman's leadership style as "calm". He also sought to clean-up the Council's image in the wake of Abscam, while dramatically increasing the Council's oversight of Mayoral projects and plans.
He saw-off a challenge to his presidency following the 1987 elections, when Joan Krajewski
Joan L. Krajewski
Joan L. Krajewski is a Democratic Councilwoman representing the Sixth District on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She has served since 1980.-References:...
, also a Democrat, sought to unseat him.
Retirement
After surviving a tough re-election contest in 1987, in which the Philadelphia Inquirer strongly endorsed his RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
opponent, Coleman announced that he would not seek re-election on February 14, 1991. Herbert DeBeary, a former Democratic primary opponent of Coleman's, went on to win the election to succeed him.
Personal life
Coleman was married, and had two children—a son and a daughter. In September of 1997, his daughter, Stephanie Coleman Epps, was shot to death in front of her two children by a former boyfirend. Coleman, who was suffering from the effects of diabetes, was unable to attend the trial, though the man was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death in December of that year.Death and honors
On December 31, 2000, Coleman died in the Mount AiryMount Airy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mount Airy is a neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Mount Airy is bounded on the northwest by the Cresheim Valley, which is part of Fairmount Park. Beyond this lies Chestnut Hill. On the west side is the Wissahickon Gorge, which is also part of Fairmount...
home he shared with his wife, Jessie.
The Community Education Centers named its Philadelphia-area
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
treatment center after Coleman. The Center's clients are referred through the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Deptartment of Corrections, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, or the Bucks County
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
Deptartment of Corrections. The Center, named Coleman Hall, provides an array of residential reentry treatment services designed to reduce recidivism. In 2002, the Philadelphia Free Library system's Northwest Regional Library, located in Germantown
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
, was renamed the Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library.
Albright College also created a scholarship award in Coleman's honor. The Distinguished Joseph E. Coleman Award provides financial assistance ranging from $8,000 to $12,000 to African-American students that show academic excellence as well as community and/or extracurricular involvement.
External links
- Philadelphia Inquirer Article Collections: Joe Coleman archival of selected news