Index
Scholarships
The John L. Coe Scholarship (Special)
The John L. Coe Scholarship, established by John L. Coe, Class of 1923, is awarded to students who are doing superior work in mathematics.
Originally from Ann Arbor, MI, John L. Coe, Class of 1923, entered Hamilton as a Fayerweather Scholar. Subsequently, he was awarded both the Root and Huntington scholarships, the Tompkins Prize in mathematics and the Hawley Prize in Greek. A member of the Emerson Literary Society, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated as class valedictorian with honors in Latin and mathematics.
Following graduation, John went to China where he was assigned to the Boone School in Wuchang Hupeh. He taught mathematics there until 1932. In 1924, he became associated with the newly established Huachung (Central China) University where he served as assistant treasurer. John earned his M.A. in mathematics from the University of Michigan in 1927. Two years later, he was appointed as head of the mathematics department at Huachung (Central China) University and as the University’s treasurer in 1931. He held both posts for the next 20 years.
In August 1935, John married Mary S. Richards in Beijing. In 1951, the couple returned to the U.S. where John began work as a mathematics teacher and bursar at Christchurch School in Virginia. In 1954, he was appointed as assistant treasurer at Spelman College in Atlanta where the Coes settled permanently. He went on to write a history of Huachung (Central China) University which was published in 1962. He retired from Spelman College in 1969 and went on to serve as acting business manager of the Atlanta University Center before retiring for good in 1974. Dedicated to volunteer service in the Atlanta community, John and Mary received a Golden Rule Award in 1989 from the Metropolitan Atlanta United Way. A devoted Hamiltonian, who led the Reunions parade in 1988, John established this scholarship in the 1970s in gratitude for the help he himself received as a student. He passed away in June 1994.
February 2015
Please note: The named scholarships profiled on these pages support the College’s generous need-based financial aid commitment. These donor-funded scholarships help ensure the Hamilton promise of keeping education affordable through meeting a student’s full demonstrated financial need.
