03. William Sloane Coffin

William Sloane Coffin

Third University Chaplain and Pastor of the Church of Christ in Yale (1958-1975)

1924-2006

Black and white photo of William Sloane Coffin Jr., a white man with medium length slicked back hair and thick glasses

Education:

  • Yale College, 1949
  • Union Theological Seminary
  • Yale Divinity School, 1956

Life Before Yale Chaplaincy:

  • Army Officer during WWII
  • Worked in the CIA from 1950-1954
  • Chaplain at Phillips Andover Academy, 1956-1957
  • Chaplain at Williams College, 1957-1958

Key Contributions:

  • Known for his leadership in opposition of the Vietnam War and contribution to the Civil Rights movement, particularly with the Freedom Riders. 
  • Brought Chaplaincy at Yale into the national spotlight with his preaching and activism.
  • Organized the Yale Religious Ministry, a group of campus ministers at Yale that still meets today.

Fun Facts:

  • As an undergraduate, Coffin was the president of the Yale Glee Club
  • A member of Skull & Bones, alongside George H. W. Bush

Life After Yale Chaplaincy:

  • In 1977, Coffin took a position as senior minister at Riverside Church in New York City