William Coffin Coleman

William Coffin Coleman (May 21, 1870 – November 2, 1957) was a businessman, the American founder of the Coleman Company, a maker of camping equipment, and a politician. He served as the Mayor of Wichita, Kansas from 1923 to 1924.

For Warren C. Coleman, the African-American businessman, see Coleman Manufacturing Company.
William Coffin Coleman
Coleman circa 1920
25th Mayor of Wichita, Kansas
In office
1923–1924
Preceded byGeorge Henry Hamilton
Succeeded byBenjamin Franklin McLean
Personal details
Born(1870-10-20)October 20, 1870
Chatham, New York, USA
DiedNovember 2, 1957(1957-11-02) (aged 87)
Wichita, Kansas, USA
Cause of deathAcute myocardial infarction[1]
Resting placeOld Mission Mausoleum, Wichita, Kansas
37.725°N 97.297°W / 37.725; -97.297
EducationEmporia State University
Known forFounder of Coleman Company

Biography

Coleman was born in Chatham, New York in 1870.[1] His parents moved the family to Labette County, Kansas in 1871, and in 1881 his father died. William started earning money by selling small goods as a child.

After he got older, he became a salesman, a good entry position for someone with limited education but much energy.[2]

Coleman with two of his employees standing in front of a Baptist railroad chapel car in Wichita, Kansas (1911).

While he was selling typewriters in Alabama, Coleman saw a lantern that used gasoline instead of kerosene. He switched his sales to lanterns, believing these would be useful. He began to craft his own lantern, which he marketed as the Coleman Arc Lamp.

In 1901 Coleman married Fanny Sheldon and they moved to Wichita, Kansas. They had two children: Sheldon and Clarence Coleman.[1]

Coleman also developed what he called the G.I. pocket stove, in addition to the gasoline lamp. The business was now called the Coleman Lamp and Stove Company.[2] after two decades in Wichita, Coleman entered politics, joining the Republican Party. He was elected as mayor of Wichita for one two-year term, serving 1923 through 1924.[1]

Coleman died in Wichita, Kansas on November 2, 1957 from a heart attack.[1] He is buried in Old Mission Mausoleum, Wichita, Kansas.

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See also

References
  1. "W.C. Coleman, 87, Stove Maker, Dies. Manufacturer of Utensil Used by G.I.'s Founded Company in Wichita". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 3, 1957. Retrieved 2007-07-21. William Coffin Coleman, maker of gasoline lamps and G.I. pocket stoves known the world over, died of a heart attack today. His age was 87.
  2. "William Coffin Coleman". Kansas State Historical Society. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
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