Henry S. Coleman
Encyclopedia
Henry Simmons Coleman was an American
educational administrator who was serving as acting dean of Columbia College, Columbia University when he was held hostage in an office for a day by the Students for a Democratic Society
during the Columbia University protests of 1968
and later wrote letters of recommendation to law school for some of the students involved in the protests. In 1972, he was shot five times by a disgruntled student who had been asked to withdraw from the university due to poor grades.
borough
of Manhattan
and attended The Hill School
. As part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program
, under which students carried a heavy course load year-round to complete their college studies faster than usual, he was sent to Columbia University
, though he had originally planned on attending Princeton University
. While an undergraduate, he was captain of the crew team and participated on the Columbian and Spectator publications.
After graduating from the Columbia University School of Engineering
in February 1946 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering
, he attended a reserve midshipmen's school and then spent six months serving in the United States Navy
as an ensign
, serving again on active duty for two years during the Korean War
. After completing his military service during World War II, he completed a graduate degree in engineering in 1948.
s.
When the student protests erupted on the Columbia campus in April 1968, he was serving as acting dean of Columbia College, having been named to the post the previous year. Though he was much liked – a contemporaneous student description stated that he was "a much better dean than anybody expected" – S.D.S. leader Mark Rudd
announced that Coleman would be their hostage of choice and that the nearly 700 protesters occupying Hamilton Hall would remain there until their demands were met.
Though he was not in his office when the takeover was initiated, he made his way into the building past protesters, went into his office and stated that "I have no control over the demands you are making, but I have no intention of meeting any demand under a situation such as this." He was detained in his office as furniture was placed to keep him from leaving. He had been provided with food while being held and was able to leave 24 hours later, with The New York Times
describing his departure from the siege as "showing no sign that he had been unsettled by the experience". The initial wave of protests ended a week later when Mayor of New York John Lindsay
sent in 1,000 officers from the New York City Police Department
to clear out the buildings.
In July 1972, Coleman was hit by several bullets fired by Eldridge McKinney, a student who had been asked to withdraw from school due to poor grades and who was described as "livid" when he entered the Columbia administration building and advanced to Dean Coleman's office. Coleman was taken to St. Luke's Hospital
. Shortly after the shooting, Columbia University administration members stated that new security measures would be implemented in the wake of the shooting, but that the goal would be to maintain a relaxed atmosphere on campus. When classes resumed in September, Coleman was back at his desk with his right arm still in a cast, after having been in the hospital for ten days for a lung punctured by a bullet and then spending two weeks recuperating at home before he returned to his duties on a part-time schedule.
He served as dean of students until his retirement in 1979. He was honored in 1996 with the college's John Jay Award for distinguished professional achievement, which recognized his status as a war veteran who "calmly refused to be bullied or coerced, and retained the respect of hawks and doves alike" in his actions during the 1968 student protests.
After his retirement, he began a guidance firm for college-bound high school students and administered various scholarship programs.
, Coleman died at age 79 due to a blood disorder on January 31, 2006, in Norwalk, Connecticut
. He was survived by his wife, the former Lila Heffelfinger; two daughters, a son and nine grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educational administrator who was serving as acting dean of Columbia College, Columbia University when he was held hostage in an office for a day by the Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
during the Columbia University protests of 1968
Columbia University protests of 1968
The Columbia University protests of 1968 were among the many student demonstrations that occurred around the world in that year. The Columbia protests erupted over the spring of that year after students discovered links between the university and the institutional apparatus supporting the United...
and later wrote letters of recommendation to law school for some of the students involved in the protests. In 1972, he was shot five times by a disgruntled student who had been asked to withdraw from the university due to poor grades.
Early life and education
Coleman was born on April 20, 1926, in the New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and attended The Hill School
The Hill School
The Hill School is a preparatory boarding school for boys and girls located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia....
. As part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
, under which students carried a heavy course load year-round to complete their college studies faster than usual, he was sent to 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...
, though he had originally planned on attending Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. While an undergraduate, he was captain of the crew team and participated on the Columbian and Spectator publications.
After graduating from the Columbia University School of Engineering
Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science is a school of Columbia University which awards Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Financial Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Engineering degrees in engineering, applied physics and applied...
in February 1946 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
, he attended a reserve midshipmen's school and then spent six months serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, serving again on active duty for two years during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. After completing his military service during World War II, he completed a graduate degree in engineering in 1948.
Columbia University
The university hired him in 1948 to operate a scholarship program, and through 1972 he administered all financial aid programs at the school as assistant to the dean. During this period, Coleman was coach of the varsity lightweight crew. After a break for military service, he was named assistant dean in 1958. He was named director of admissions in 1960, where he initiated a process to increase diversity on campus, deemphasizing the role of standardized testStandardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
s.
When the student protests erupted on the Columbia campus in April 1968, he was serving as acting dean of Columbia College, having been named to the post the previous year. Though he was much liked – a contemporaneous student description stated that he was "a much better dean than anybody expected" – S.D.S. leader Mark Rudd
Mark Rudd
Mark William Rudd is a political organizer, mathematics instructor, and anti-war activist, most well known for his involvement with the Weather Underground. Rudd became a member of the Columbia University chapter of Students for a Democratic Society in 1963. By 1968, he had emerged as a leader...
announced that Coleman would be their hostage of choice and that the nearly 700 protesters occupying Hamilton Hall would remain there until their demands were met.
Though he was not in his office when the takeover was initiated, he made his way into the building past protesters, went into his office and stated that "I have no control over the demands you are making, but I have no intention of meeting any demand under a situation such as this." He was detained in his office as furniture was placed to keep him from leaving. He had been provided with food while being held and was able to leave 24 hours later, with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
describing his departure from the siege as "showing no sign that he had been unsettled by the experience". The initial wave of protests ended a week later when Mayor of New York John Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
sent in 1,000 officers from the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
to clear out the buildings.
In July 1972, Coleman was hit by several bullets fired by Eldridge McKinney, a student who had been asked to withdraw from school due to poor grades and who was described as "livid" when he entered the Columbia administration building and advanced to Dean Coleman's office. Coleman was taken to St. Luke's Hospital
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, an academic affiliate of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, is a 1,076-bed, full-service community and tertiary care hospital serving New York City’s Midtown West, Upper West Side and parts of Harlem....
. Shortly after the shooting, Columbia University administration members stated that new security measures would be implemented in the wake of the shooting, but that the goal would be to maintain a relaxed atmosphere on campus. When classes resumed in September, Coleman was back at his desk with his right arm still in a cast, after having been in the hospital for ten days for a lung punctured by a bullet and then spending two weeks recuperating at home before he returned to his duties on a part-time schedule.
He served as dean of students until his retirement in 1979. He was honored in 1996 with the college's John Jay Award for distinguished professional achievement, which recognized his status as a war veteran who "calmly refused to be bullied or coerced, and retained the respect of hawks and doves alike" in his actions during the 1968 student protests.
After his retirement, he began a guidance firm for college-bound high school students and administered various scholarship programs.
Death
A resident of New Canaan, ConnecticutNew Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
, Coleman died at age 79 due to a blood disorder on January 31, 2006, in Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
. He was survived by his wife, the former Lila Heffelfinger; two daughters, a son and nine grandchildren.