William Rogers Coe (March 1901 – May 26, 1971)[1] was an American banker and railroad executive.

William Rogers Coe
BornMarch 1901
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
DiedMay 26, 1971(1971-05-26) (aged 70)
EducationPrinceton University
Alma materUnited States Naval Academy
OccupationBusinessman
ChildrenWilliam Robertson Coe II
Michael D. Coe
Parent(s)William Robertson Coe
Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe
RelativesHenry Huttleston Rogers (grandfather)

Early life

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William Rogers Coe was born in March 1901 in Manhattan. He was the first of four children born to Mai Huttleston Rogers Coe and William Robertson Coe. His younger siblings included Robert Douglas Coe (who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Denmark),[2] philanthropist Henry Huttleston Rogers Coe, and Natalie Mai Coe who became the Countess Vitetti after she married Commendatore Leonardo Vitetti, the Italian Ambassador to France.[3]

He was educated at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. He then attended Princeton University and the United States Naval Academy.[4]

Career

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He followed his father into the railway business. Eventually, he became Vice-President and Treasurer of the Virginian Railway Company, the railroad that his grandfather, Henry Huttleston Rogers had built. He also served as a board member of the East River Savings Bank and First National Bank of New York and a director of the Long Island Lighting Co. and the Brooklyn Union Gas Company.[1]

Personal life

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In 1923, Coe was married to twenty year old designer Clover Simonton, a daughter of Thomas C. Simonton.[5] After their marriage, they lived nearby in Glen Cove, New York and later, Mill Neck, New York. Like his father, William Robertson Coe, William Rogers Coe had strong horticultural interests, and was a noted raiser of azaleas and rhododendrons, often exhibiting at flower shows. Together, they had two sons:

He served as the president of The Coe Foundation, the Planting Fields Foundation and served for many years as the chairman of the board of the New York Horticultural Society.[4]

Coe died in Oyster Bay, New York on May 26, 1971.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "William Coe Dead; Ex‐Rail Executive". The New York Times. June 9, 1971. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  2. ^ "Robert Coe Dies at 83; Former U.S. Diplomat". The New York Times. June 2, 1985. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "Miss Natalie Coe Long Island Bride", The New York Times, May 20, 1934
  4. ^ a b "Meet the Coe Family of Planting Fields, Oyster Bay, L.I. N.Y." (PDF). plantingfields.org. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "WM. R. COE, JR. MAY HAVE WED DESIGNER; Grandson of Late H. H. Rogers, 22, and Miss Clover Simonton, 20, Got Marriage License" (PDF). The New York Times. April 2, 1923. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  6. ^ Times Online (January 23, 2010). "[Obituaries:] William Robertson Coe: archaeologist". The Times. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Archived from the original (online edition) on May 23, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  7. ^ University of Pennsylvania (January 12, 2010). "[Deaths:] Dr. Coe, Penn Museum" (online edition). The Almanac. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  8. ^ Merrin, Edward H. "The Olmec World of Michael Coe". Edward Merrin. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
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