James Smoot Coleman (4 February 1919 – 20 April 1985) was an American scholar, professor and administrator in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

, but more specifically in

African studies African studies is the study of Africa, especially the continent's cultures and societies (as opposed to its geology, geography, zoology, etc.). The field includes the study of Africa's history (pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial), demography ...

. He is noted for two of his books, ''Nigeria: Background to Nationalism''Coleman, James Smoot (1958) ''Nigeria: Background to Nationalism'' University of California Press, Berkeley
OCLC 166245
reprinted in 1963, 1971 and 1986. and ''Education and Political Development''Coleman, James Smoot (1965) ''Education and Political Development'' Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
OCLC 78409645
/ref> which have been called "classics of scholarship".Matthews, Kevin (2005) "Remembering James Smoot Coleman" UCLA African Studies Center 11 October 2005
accessed 29 December 2008

Biography

Coleman was born in Provo, Utah, to a

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into severa ...

family, son of Jacob Coleman and Allie Smoot Coleman. He graduated from Brigham Young High School in 1936. He enrolled in Brigham Young University, but interrupted his college education to join the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

in 1941, and achieved the rank of Lt. Colonel before resigning in 1946 after the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

.Marquis Who's Who (1993) "James Smoot Coleman: 1919- " ''Who Was Who in America: A component volume of Who's Who in American History'' Volume 11, 1993-1996 ; ''Who's Who in American History'' Marquis, online version accessed 30 December 2008 Coleman received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...

in 1947 and his

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

(1948). He received a doctorate in (1953) from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He was a teaching fellow at Harvard from 1949 to 1950, and again in 1953. In 1953, he became an instructor at the

University of California at Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

(UCLA), and soon was appointed as an assistant professor. In 1963 he was president of the

African Studies Association The African Studies Association (ASA) is a US-based association of scholars, students, practitioners, and institutions with an interest in the continent of Africa. Founded in 1957, the ASA is the leading organization of African Studies in North ...

. Coleman was the first director of the UCLA African Studies Center from its founding in 1959 until 1965. From 1965 to 1978, Coleman spent over twelve years as a university administrator in Africa. First in 1965 he was Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at

Makerere University College Makerere University, Kampala (; Mak) is Uganda's largest and oldest institution of higher learning, first established as a technical school in 1922. It became an independent national university in 1970. Today, Makerere University is composed of n ...

at the

University of East Africa The University of East Africa was established on 29 June 1963"Universities: East Africa", ''A Historical Companion To Postcolonial Thought In English'' (Columbia University Press, 2005) Prem Poddar and David Johnson, eds., p. 489. and served Keny ...

in Uganda. In 1967 he moved to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

to assume the position as Director for the Institute for Development Studies at the

University of Nairobi The University of Nairobi (uonbi or UoN; ) is a collegiate research university based in Nairobi. It is the largest university in Kenya. Although its history as an educational institution dates back to 1956, it did not become an independent univer ...

. Finally he went to the

University of Dar es Salaam The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is a public university in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was established in 1961 as an affiliate college of the University of London. The university became an affiliate of the University of East Africa (UEA) in ...

in Tanzania. From 1967 to 1978, while in Africa, Coleman was an associate director of the Rockefeller Foundation and served as its representative for East Africa and

Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...

. Coleman returned to UCLA in 1978 as a full professor in political science and as chair of the UCLA Council on International and Comparative Studies (CICS). As head of CICS he was instrumental in leading the Southern California Consortium for International Studies from 1978 until his death in 1985. In 1984 he became the first director of UCLA's International Studies and Overseas Programs (ISOP) (now known as UCLA's International Institute). Coleman married Margaret Tate on 4 February 1944, and they had two sons. On 20 June 1965, Coleman married Ursula Finken. Coleman died suddenly of a heart attack in Los Angeles on 20 April 1985.

Awards and honors

* 1959 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award for ''Nigeria: Background to Nationalism'' * Decorated

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) Honorary Member * 1966 Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

* 1985 the African Studies Center at UCLA was renamed the James S. Coleman African Studies Center in his honor."African Studies Center Newsletter"
accessed 29 December 2008

Notes

Sources

* Bowman, John Stewart (ed.) (1995) "James Smoot Coleman – 1919–1985" ''The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, * Gale Reference Team (1967) ''Contemporary Authors: A bio-bibliographical guide to current writers in fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television, and other fields'' Volumes 1-4 (1st revision) Gale Research, Detroit * Stren, Richard (1985) "In Memoriam: James Smoot Coleman, 1919–1985" ''Canadian Journal of African Studies'' 19(2): p. 292 * Lofchie, Michael (1986) "James Smoot Coleman, 1919–85: An Appreciation" ''Africa: Journal of the International African Institute'' 56(1): pp. 82–84 {{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, James Smoot American Africanists American political scientists American political philosophers Harvard University alumni Members of the Order of the British Empire Brigham Young University alumni 1919 births 1985 deaths American expatriates in Uganda American expatriates in Kenya American expatriates in Tanzania Presidents of the African Studies Association 20th-century political scientists Brigham Young High School alumni