Thomas Coughlin III (February 12, 1938 – August 23, 2001) was the first commissioner of the
New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (now Office for People with Developmental Disabilities) and later served as the second longest commissioner of the
New York State Department of Correctional Services. He was originally appointed by former Governor
Hugh Carey
Hugh Leo Carey (April 11, 1919 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He was a seven-term U.S. representative from 1961 to 1974 and the 51st governor of New York from 1975 to 1982. He was a member of the Democratic Party. ...
as deputy commissioner for mental retardation in the
New York State Department of Mental Hygiene
The Department of Mental Hygiene is a component of the New York state government composed of three autonomous offices:
*the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS)
*the Office of Mental Health (OMH)
*the Office for People With Develo ...
in 1975.
Early life
Born in Brooklyn on February 12, 1938, the son of a firefighter, he grew up in Flatbush and attended
Midwood High School
Midwood High School is a high school located at 2839 Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City, administered by the New York City Department of Education. It has an enrollment of 3,938 students. Its H-shaped building, with six Ionic order, Ionic co ...
. He volunteered for the Air Force and was stationed in
Watertown, N.Y., where he married and later resided and served as a New York state trooper. He graduated from
Goddard College in Vermont in 1972, and briefly studied law at Syracuse University.
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]
People with Developmental Disabilities
The Coughlins' third daughter was born with developmental disabilities, and in 1964 he founded the Jefferson County Association for Retarded Children to press for better state facilities for people with intellectual disabilities.[
After joining the Department of Mental Hygiene, Coughlin became instrumental in implementing the Willowbrook Consent Decree which committed New York state to improving community placement for all developmentally disabled.
]
Corrections and Community Supervision
Mr. Coughlin took over the Department of Corrections when State Senate Republicans blocked the selection of Governor Carey's original nominee for the job, Richard Hongisto
Richard Duane Hongisto (December 16, 1936, Bovey, Minnesota – November 4, 2004, San Francisco, California) was a businessman, politician, sheriff, and police chief of San Francisco, California, and Cleveland, Ohio.
Early life and educatio ...
.[ He continued to serve in the post under Governor Mario Cuomo, where
Mr. Coughlin presided over the rapid growth of the prison system. There were about 21,000 inmates when he took over in 1979 and almost 67,000 when he retired after 15 years.
]
Stock Car Racing
Coughlin enjoyed driving stock cars, competing for several years at the Watertown Speedway
Watertown Speedway was a 1/2 mile dirt oval raceway located at the Jefferson County fairgrounds in Watertown, New York. Located in the Thousand Islands region, it drew competitors and fans from both sides of the Canada–US border
History
Au ...
. In 1972 he joined the race track’s promotional team, and in 1975 Coughlin and his partners purchased the Can-Am Speedway in nearby LaFargeville, N.Y.Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame
The Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to recognize individual achievements in the sport of stock car racing. It is located at 1 Speedway Dr., Weedsport, New York
Weedsport is a village in Cayuga County, New York, Un ...
for their contributions.
References
{{reflist
1938 births
2001 deaths
Midwood High School alumni