Frantz Hunt Coe (1856–1904) was a

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

physician, public official and educator. Coe was born November 28, 1856, in St. Charles, Illinois to Matthew Daniel Coe, M.D., and his wife Susan Farwell. He first attended the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, where he graduated with an AB in 1879, and became a teacher. Shortly afterward, on August 17, 1880, he married Carrie Everett of

Chelsea, Michigan Chelsea is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,467 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The area was first settled as early as 1820 within the Michigan Terri ...

. With his father a physician, and not being quite satisfied on a teacher's salary, he went to

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, ...

in 1884. (He is listed as a student in the

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

address directory in 1886.) He graduated in 1888 with an

M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...

Coe and his wife promptly moved to Seattle, where in 1890 he is listed as partners with Gideon A. Weed "Physicians & Surgeons" at 606 Pike Street. A family researcher states that he was also surgeon for the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

and Seattle Traction Company and secretary of the Washington State Medical Society. He was Seattle's Public Health Officer in 1898. "He wrote in his journal, 'I am absolutely satisfied women make better principals than men and wish to open up a new era in Seattle schools.'"Coe School: Facts & History
at www.seattleschools.org He served on the Seattle

School Board A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

from 1901 to 1904, his term ending with his death on July 16, 1904, in Seattle. Due to his prominence in the community and his enduring work for education, the Coe Elementary School was named after him in 1907. Coe and his wife had two sons, Herbert and Harry, and one daughter, Francel (Frances?).

References

Small bio and picture

"Frantz Hunt Coe"
by Richard Phipps in the Ancestry World Tree Project, hosted at Ancestry *Gardner Bartlett, ''Robert Coe Puritan His Ancestors and Descendants 1340-1910''. Privately Printed. Boston, MA. 1911 *Who Was Who in America. A component volume of Who's Who in American History. Volume 1, 1897-1942. Chicago: A.N. Marquis Co., 1943. *Charles W. (Charles Wesley) Smith, Isabel Mayhew . ''Pacific Northwest Americana''. Binfords & Mort. 1950 *University of Michigan. Board of Regents, ''Proceedings of the Board of Regents''. The University 1915 {{DEFAULTSORT:Coe, Frantz Hunt 1856 births 1904 deaths People from St. Charles, Illinois Physicians from Seattle University of Michigan alumni University of Michigan Medical School alumni