About the William T. Coleman Foundation

Our Mission

The mission of the William T. Coleman Jr. Foundation is to honor and advance the incomparable legacy and achievements in law, civil rights, leadership in corporate America and public service of the Honorable William T. Coleman, Jr.. The Foundation will sponsor symposiums on civil rights, principles of democracy and constitutional issues; make grants to charitable and educational organizations; foster civil rights and constitutional issues; appropriately honor and celebrate civil rights and constitutional leaders; and support students and educational initiatives focusing on civil rights and constitutional issues.

We honor Secretary Coleman's unwavering dedication to constitutional rights, civil rights, and equal opportunity for all. His career as a groundbreaking attorney, public servant, and advisor to leaders across government, law, and industry, demonstrated the power of principled leadership in shaping a more just and free society.

Through conferences, grants, scholarships, reports, and collaborations with academic, civic, and public and private institutions, the Foundation seeks to foster fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law, to strengthen democratic values, and to inspire new generations to carry forward the example and work of Secretary Coleman in the public and private sectors.

Guided by Secretary Coleman's belief in service, integrity, and excellence, we aim to create programs and partnerships that encourage dialogue, nurture emerging leaders, and ensure that the pursuit of justice and freedom remain central to our national identity.

Get Involved

Help us bring Secretary William T. Coleman Jr.'s legacy to life. Your support fuels the bas relief memorial at the National Constitution Center and sustains programs that advance constitutional rights, civil rights, and equal opportunity.

Give: Make a donation to fund the memorial and underwrite conferences, grants, scholarships, and research that promote fidelity to the rule of law and strengthen democratic values.

Partner: Join us as a "Friend" or "Supporter" of the Foundation, lend your organization's name, and help us reach additional prospective donors and collaborators across legal, academic, civic, and private sectors.

Connect: Introduce speakers, institutions, and community leaders who can contribute to our events including the unveiling ceremony and to ongoing education and public dialogue.

Volunteer: Contribute your expertise in law, public service, education, communications, or event support to amplify our mission and widen our impact.

Who We Are

We are a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit inspired by the life and work of Secretary William T. Coleman Jr. a pioneering attorney, public servant, and champion of equality. We honor his example by advancing leadership, justice, and lifelong learning.

Led by Board Chair Lowell Thomas and supported by civic-minded leaders, our network spans law, government, academia, and the private sector. Together we develop initiatives, conferences, grants, scholarships, reports, and collaborations that strengthen the rule of law and expand equal opportunity.

Our work includes supporting the installation of a bas relief memorial at the National Constitution Center, a visible testament to progress since Brown v. Board of Education and a reminder of the vigilance required to protect constitutional principles for future generations.

Guided by Secretary Coleman's values, service, integrity, and excellence we convene voices across generations to foster informed dialogue, cultivate emerging leaders, and safeguard the core ideals at the heart of our democracy.

Foundation Members

Lowell Thomas

Board Chair and President

Mr. Thomas formerly served as a business policy advisor for former Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell. In that position, he assisted Governor Rendell and Secretary Donna Cooper with policy oversight and development, budgeting, communications, and planning across multiple state departments and commissions. Before that, he practiced corporate/commercial law, handled major M&A and financing projects, and served as legal counsel to leading Philadelphia officials and courts.

Donald T. Bliss

Ambassador (ret.)

Mr. Bliss was the U.S. Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal (2006-2009). Earlier, he chaired the Aviation/Transportation Practice at O'Melveny & Myers LLP and served as Acting General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Transportation under Secretary Coleman. He also held senior counsel roles in HEW and USAID, and began his career as a Peace Corps lawyer in Micronesia. Bliss co-authored Counsel for the Situation with William T. Coleman Jr.

Anthony E. Gay, Esq.

Vice President & General Counsel

Mr. Gay serves as Vice President and General Counsel at PECO Energy, leading legal and regulatory affairs in Pennsylvania. He previously oversaw governmental and external stakeholder outreach, and managed major mergers including Exelon/Pepco Holdings. His career includes counsel roles at Verizon, Morgan Lewis & Bockius, and a federal judgeship clerkship.

Rodney E. Slater

Partner at the law firm Squire Patton Boggs

Mr. Slater became the first African-American Director of the Federal Highway Administration. In 1997, he was appointed to be the Secretary of Transportation, the second African American to hold that post. Mr. Slater is currently a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, where he is head of the transportation practice and works on projects related to the transportation infrastructure. He is also a partner in James Lee Witt Associates, a risk management firm headed by former Federal Emergency Management Agency director James Lee Witt. Additionally, Mr. Slater is part of a group of investors headed by Stan Kasten that successfully purchased the Major League Baseball team, the Washington Nationals.

Jim Haynes

The Honorable William J. Haynes II, corporate and former government executive

Mr. Jim Haynes is Executive Vice President of Blacklake Group (a privately held holding company), and concurrently advises early stage emerging technology companies. In addition to his public service twice as a Senate-confirmed presidential appointee, Jim has served as an executive at four public companies: General Dynamics Corporation, Chevron Corporation; Siga Technologies, Inc.; and CSRA Inc.. He is a director of the Supreme Court Historical Society and of Labrynth, LLC.

Joseph H. Jacovini, Esq.

Chairman Emeritus, Dilworth Paxson LLP

Mr. Jacovini is Chairman Emeritus of Dilworth Paxson LLP, where he also chairs the Strategic & Financial Committee and sits on the Executive Committee.

Lilton Taliaferro

Health Law Attorney & Consultant

Mr. Taliaferro is a seasoned health law attorney and consultant specializing in regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters in the healthcare sector.