predecessor successor children birth_place president party office birth_date term_start appointer spouse image article_title term_end name alma_mater
position established claude brinegar scott silliman brock adams lovida william hardin philadelphia , pennsylvania , u.s. gerald ford republican judge review united states secretary of transportation of the united states court of military commission 7 july 1920 september 21 , 2004 march 7 , 1975 george w. bush lovida hardin william thaddeus coleman.jpg william thaddeus coleman , jr. .
 december 17 , 2009 january 20 , 1977 william coleman university of pennsylvania harvard university
william thaddeus coleman , jr. .

william thaddeus coleman , jr. -lrb- born july 7 , 1920 -rrb- is an american attorney and politician .
coleman was the fourth united states secretary of transportation , from march 7 , 1975 to january 20 , 1977 , and the second african american to serve in the cabinet .
as an attorney , coleman and thurgood marshall have played a major role in significant civil rights cases .
since the death of otis ray bowen , coleman is the oldest living former u.s. cabinet member .
