Richard Coulter Jr.
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Richard Coulter Jr. (October 3, 1870 – September 26, 1955) was a
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
general, a businessman, a professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player and a banker.


Early life and career

Coulter was born in Greensburg,
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Westmoreland County is a county in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census the population was 354,663. The county seat is Greensburg and the most populous community is ...
, the first of six children of Richard Coulter Sr. (1827–1908) and Emma Welty (1841–1929). His father Richard Coulter Sr. was a major general in the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, a prominent business man in Greensburg, and founder of the First National Bank of Greensburg. Son Richard Coulter Jr. attended
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, where he became a Charter Member of The Tiger Inn and a football standout. He graduated in 1892. After college, he worked for his father in business and banking. From 1894 to 1896, he played organized football with the
Greensburg Athletic Association The Greensburg Athletic Association was an early organized football team, based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, that played in the unofficial Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit from 1890 until 1900. At times referred to as the Greensb ...
, one of the first professional teams. He served the team as an
offensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
.


Military career

Coulter began his military career as a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...
in the
Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 per ...
in 1895. In 1898, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment.


Spanish–American War

In 1898, Coulter's Regiment was ordered to active duty in the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
. Coulter was promoted to colonel of the 10th Regiment in 1907 and commanded the regiment on the U.S. border with Mexico in 1916. Pennsylvanian leaders considered Col. Coulter as the Democratic candidate for
Governor of Pennsylvania The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
in the 1916 election.''Three Richard Coulters'', by Ed Hahn.


World War I

In 1914, Coulter commanded the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment when it was ordered to return to active duty once again in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Shortly after that, he was promoted to brigadier general and transferred to the 41st Infantry Division. He was discharged from the national army in January 1919. He continued to command the 55th infantry Brigade of the 28th Division,
Pennsylvania National Guard The Pennsylvania National Guard is one of the oldest and largest National Guards in the United States Department of Defense. It traces its roots to 1747 when Benjamin Franklin established the Associators in Philadelphia. With more than 18,000 per ...
.


Postbellum career

After World War I, Coulter returned to Greensburg, where he resumed his business and banking activities in the First National Bank of Greensburg (now the
First Commonwealth Bank First Commonwealth Financial Corporation is a financial services company based in Indiana, Pennsylvania, primarily serving the Western and Central Pennsylvania as well as Canton, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio. First Commonwealth has long served the C ...
). After the death of his father Richard Coulter Sr. in 1908, Coulter Jr. served at the bank's president for more than 40 years. During
the Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank an ...
in the early 1930s, the bank was reorganized, but continued to survive under Coulter's leadership. Coulter also headed several coal companies which owned coal mines under and around Greensburg.


Personal life

Coulter married Matilda Bowman and had one daughter, Emma.


Death

He died on September 26, 1955.


References

* Hahn, Ed, "Three Richard Coulters", ''Westmoreland Chronicle'', newsletter of the Westmoreland County Historical Society, Fall 2007, pages 10–11. * Van Atta, Robert, ''A Bicentennial History of the City of Greensburg, PA'', Chas M. Henry Printing Co., 1999. *


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulter, Richard Jr. 1870 births 1955 deaths American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army generals of World War I United States Army generals People from Greensburg, Pennsylvania Players of American football from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania American bankers Greensburg Athletic Association players Pennsylvania Democrats Princeton University alumni Military personnel from Pennsylvania National Guard (United States) generals 19th-century United States Army personnel Pennsylvania National Guard personnel