James S. Coles

Infobox University President


width = 150px
name =James S. Coles


caption =
order =9th
university =President of Bowdoin College
term_start =1952
term_end =1968
birth_date =1913
birth_place =
death_date =1996
death_place =
predecessor =Kenneth C.M. Sills
successor =Roger Howell, Jr.
alumnus =Columbia University
residence =
profession =
website =http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/archives/jscg.shtml
footnotes =|

James S. Coles (1913-1996) was the ninth president of Bowdoin College.

Life and Career

After having graduated from Columbia University in 1936, Coles earned a PHD in chemistry at Columbia and taught at several educational institutions including Middlebury College and Brown University before becoming president of Bowdoin. Additionally, for his work in antisubmarine warfare during World War II done at the Underwater Explosives Research Laboratory at Woods Hole, he was awarded the President’s Certificate of Merit.

Coles became president of Bowdoin in 1952 and served until 1968. Coles was the first president to build dorms for seniors and saw the sizes of his student body, faculty, and campus grow dramatically. Notably, the Coles Tower, one of the tallest buildings in Maine was built during his tenure.

After he left Bowdoin, Coles became president of Research Corporation, a private foundation for the advancement of science and technology. During his occupancy, the foundation’s assets increased from $11 million to $46 million.

External Links

*http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9406E2D71739F936A25755C0A960958260
*http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/archives/jscg.shtml
*http://www.bowdoin.edu/academics/students/fellowships/james-coles.shtml