Obituaries
John R. Coleman, Former Haverford College President, Dies At 95
Coleman kept his office door open and ate with students regularly in the dining room, the college said. He died Tuesday.
Former Haverford College President John R. Coleman died Sept. 6 at the age of 95. He was Haverford’s ninth president, and led the college from 1967 to 1977.
According to information from the college, Coleman was a native of Canada who served with the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. Coleman was president Haverford during the Vietnam War.
"Coleman, who became known to all on campus as 'Jack,' kept his office door open and ate with students regularly in the dining room. He also shared their concerns about the escalating war in Vietnam," the college said in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Marple Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"Losing Jack Coleman is like losing a father," Emeritus Professor of Astronomy Bruce Partridge said in a statement posted on the college's website. "Jack hired me, then mentored me. In the 1970s we fought together for the admission of women to Haverford, a fight that cost him his job. For those turbulent times, he was the ideal president for Haverford. In his brilliance, and his kindness, and his ability to think, and to step, gracefully out of the box, Jack embodied the best of this special place."
Click here to read the full statement on Haverford College's website.
Find out what's happening in Marple Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
