Francis Coker
Encyclopedia
Francis William Coker was an American political scientist and the chairman of the Department of Government at Yale University
from 1937 to 1945. Coker's work focused on political theory, particularly theories of the state
and the nature of democracy
.
. He received an A.B.
from the University of North Carolina
in 1899 and a second A.B. from Harvard in 1902. In 1910, he received his PhD from Columbia University
, and began teaching at Ohio State University
, where he remained until 1929.
In 1916, Coker married Helene Ruth Patton with whom he had two children, including Francis William Coker, Jr., who later became a noted lawyer. In 1929, Coker left Ohio State to become the Cowles Professor of Government at Yale. In 1937, he was appointed chairman of the government department at Yale, and held that position until his retirement in 1945. In 1947, he was named an emeritus
professor at Yale, and he retired in 1949. Coker's students at Yale included Robert Dahl, Miriam Irish, and Dwight Waldo
, all of whom cited him as an important influence.
Coker died on May 26, 1963 at his home in Hamden, Connecticut
and was buried in his hometown of Society Hill.
that Coker "missed the point". Nonetheless, the book gained a following and is still cited today.
Coker's other major theoretical work was Recent Political Thought published in 1934. The book examined the development of political ideas from the mid-nineteenth century until the early 1930s. The book primarily focused on liberal democracy
and both leftist and rightist challenges to it. Without firmly taking a position on democracy in the book, Coker did conclude that liberal democracy "was a more reasonable political alternative than critics on either side of the political spectrum appreciate." Recent Political Thought was generally well received and one reviewer in the American Journal of International Law
called the work "a service to all teachers of political theory". Similarly, Francis Wilson
, writing in the American Political Science Review
called the book "the best of the works on current political thinking."
Coker also edited several works on political theory, which became "standard anthologies in political theory courses," and wrote numerous articles in journals and other publications. The central themes in all of his work were theories of the state, and the nature of liberal democracy.
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
from 1937 to 1945. Coker's work focused on political theory, particularly theories of the state
State (polity)
A state is an organized political community, living under a government. States may be sovereign and may enjoy a monopoly on the legal initiation of force and are not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. Many states are federated states which participate in a federal union...
and the nature of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
.
Biography
Coker was born in Society Hill, South CarolinaSociety Hill, South Carolina
Society Hill is a town in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 700 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. He received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
in 1899 and a second A.B. from Harvard in 1902. In 1910, he received his PhD from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and began teaching at Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he remained until 1929.
In 1916, Coker married Helene Ruth Patton with whom he had two children, including Francis William Coker, Jr., who later became a noted lawyer. In 1929, Coker left Ohio State to become the Cowles Professor of Government at Yale. In 1937, he was appointed chairman of the government department at Yale, and held that position until his retirement in 1945. In 1947, he was named an emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
professor at Yale, and he retired in 1949. Coker's students at Yale included Robert Dahl, Miriam Irish, and Dwight Waldo
Dwight Waldo
Dwight Waldo was an American political scientist and is perhaps the defining figure in modern public administration. Waldo's career was often directed against a scientific/technical portrayal of bureaucracy and government that now suggests the term public management as opposed to public...
, all of whom cited him as an important influence.
Coker died on May 26, 1963 at his home in Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
and was buried in his hometown of Society Hill.
Academic work
Coker published his first book, Organismic Theories of the State in 1910. In the work, Coker criticized contemporary theories of the state as a unitary actor, and argued that "such theories ultimately failed." The book drew a somewhat frosty response, and L.L. Bernard wrote in the American Journal of SociologyAmerican Journal of Sociology
The American Journal of Sociology was established in 1895 by Albion Small and is the oldest academic journal of sociology in the United States. The journal is attached to the University of Chicago's sociology department and it is published bimonthly by The University of Chicago Press. Its...
that Coker "missed the point". Nonetheless, the book gained a following and is still cited today.
Coker's other major theoretical work was Recent Political Thought published in 1934. The book examined the development of political ideas from the mid-nineteenth century until the early 1930s. The book primarily focused on liberal democracy
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
and both leftist and rightist challenges to it. Without firmly taking a position on democracy in the book, Coker did conclude that liberal democracy "was a more reasonable political alternative than critics on either side of the political spectrum appreciate." Recent Political Thought was generally well received and one reviewer in the American Journal of International Law
American Journal of International Law
The American Journal of International Law is an English-language scholarly journal focusing on international law and international relations...
called the work "a service to all teachers of political theory". Similarly, Francis Wilson
Francis Wilson
Francis Wilson may refer to:*Francis H. Wilson , U.S. Representative from New York*Francis Wilson , American actor*Francis Wilson , Australian lichenologist...
, writing in the American Political Science Review
American Political Science Review
The American Political Science Review is the flagship publication of the American Political Science Association and is the most prestigious journal in political science according to the ISI 2004 Journal Citation Report...
called the book "the best of the works on current political thinking."
Coker also edited several works on political theory, which became "standard anthologies in political theory courses," and wrote numerous articles in journals and other publications. The central themes in all of his work were theories of the state, and the nature of liberal democracy.
External links
- Full text of Organismic Theories of the State available from Google books.