William T. Coleman Jr., a civil rights lawyer from Philadelphia who prevailed in several landmark Supreme Court cases, broke a number of racial barriers in his own right and was the second African-American to lead a Cabinet-level department, passed away this weekend at the age of 96.
He died at his home from complications related to Alzheimer’s disease, his daughter, Lovida Coleman, said.
Coleman was transportation secretary during the President Ford administration and co-author of the main brief in Brown v. Board of Education. He was a prominent Republican who advised presidents of both parties.
Coleman’s service in Ford’s Cabinet was a high point in a career. Coleman was the fourth United States Secretary of Transportation, from March 7, 1975, to January 20, 1977, and the second African American to serve in the Cabinet.
Coleman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended local public schools before graduating summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in history in 1941 and magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1946. Coleman is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He was awarded an honorary degree from Williams College in May 1975, Gettysburg College on May 22, 2011, and Boston University in May 2012, among other honorary degrees.
