Richard Coulter, Jr.

Richard Coulter, Jr.

Date of birth	October 3, 1870
Place of birth	Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Date of death
Place of death	Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Career information
Position(s)	Offensive lineman
College	Princeton
Career history
As player
1894–1896	Greensburg Athletic Association
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	U.S. Army
Years of service	1895–1919
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment (1895–1914) 41st Infantry Division (1914–1918)
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War Border War World War I

Richard Coulter, Jr. (October 3, 1870 – September 26, 1955) was a World War I general, a businessman, a professional football player and a banker.

Early life and career

Richard Coulter, Jr. was born in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 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, a prominent business man in Greensburg, and founder of the First National Bank of Greensburg. Son Richard Coulter Jr. attended Princeton University 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, one of the very first professional teams. He served the team as an offensive lineman.

Military career

Richard Coulter Jr. began his military career as a private in the Pennsylvania National Guard 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. 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 in the 1916 election.

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. Shortly after that, Coulter was promoted to Brigadier General and transferred to the 41st Infantry Division. General Coulter Jr. was discharged from the army in January 1919.

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). After the death of his father Richard Coulter Sr. in 1908, Richard Coulter Jr. served at the bank's president for more than 40 years. During the Great Depression 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.

General Coulter married Matilda Bowman (November 15, 1875 – February 26, 1964) and had one daughter Emma. He died September 26, 1955 and is buried in St. Clair Cemetery, east of Greensburg.

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.