Spencer Coleman

Spencer Coleman was born in Virginia in December 1870.¹ Little is known about his early life, but by 1891 he was living in Washington, D.C., and working as a coachman.² The 1897 official registry of federal government employees list Coleman as a janitor at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.³ Around this time he also worked as a coachman for Dr. Presley Rixey, personal physician to President William McKinley.⁴ 

It is likely through the recommendation of Dr. Rixey that Coleman received his appointment as White House coachman in early 1899. Coleman was hired to replace the previous White House coachman, Fred Douglass, who suffered an injury in February 1899 after being attacked by one of the hostlers in the White House Stables. Coleman’s initial appointment was a test period during which the president evaluated his abilities. In October 1899, Coleman was hired full-time and Douglass officially left his position.⁵ 

As coachman, Coleman drove the president and first lady and managed the White House Stables. A newspaper article that reported on Coleman’s appointment stated: “He drives the carriage which takes President and Mrs. McKinley on their morning and evening rides.”⁶ He often wore a livery or uniform.⁷ It is unclear how long Coleman held this position, but President Theodore Roosevelt hired other coachmen to serve him when he became president in 1901, so it is likely Coleman ceased working by then. At this time, little else is known about Coleman.