About William Sloane Coffin
Hope arouses, as nothing else can arouse, a passion for the possible.
--Rev. William Sloane Coffin in SIMPSON'S CONTEMPORARY QUOTATIONS

The Reverend William Sloane Coffin (1924-2006), is one of America's great moral and religious leaders, renowned for the ways in which he challenged intellectuals and inspired students. Coffin served as chaplain of Yale University from 1958-1976. He also served as chaplain at Williams College. He was senior minister of Riverside Church in New York City for over ten years and continued to preach throughout his life. As chaplain and minister, Coffin hosted such world leaders as Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Rose Styren, Olaf Palmer among numerous others. He received over 30 honorary degrees from Universities, Colleges and educational institutions throughout the country.

Notorious for his role in the civil rights movement and as a vocal opponent against nuclear weapons proliferation, it is a belief in faith as a force for resisting evil that drove his commitment to global peace and social justice. He once told Bill Moyers, .My understanding of Christianity is that it underlies all progressive moves to implement more justice, get a higher degree of peace in the world. The impulse to love God and neighbor, that impulse is at the heart of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. No question about it . we have much more in common than we have in conflict."

Coffin initially became famous at Yale University in the 60's, leading a very public opposition to the Vietnam War. He was jailed (the first of many times) as a civil rights Freedom Rider, indicted by the government in the Benjamin Spock conspiracy trial, and is president emeritus of SANE/FREEZE: Campaign for Global Security (the nation's largest peace and justice group). He fought in World War II, worked for the CIA for three years, and has been immortalized as Reverend Sloan in the Doonesbury comic strip. He was also an ardent supporter of gay rights.

In 2005, First Congregational Church of Berkeley sponsored a UCB faculty lunch with Coffin. Attendees heard readings from his then forthcoming book, LETTERS TO A YOUNG DOUBTER, in which Coffin writes letters to an imagined friend - a bright, young college student - answering questions and offering his typically sage advice about problems of faith, the difficulties of personal life, and the ever-confusing and complex problems of today's world. Coffin is a prolific writer and has penned several other books including ONCE TO EVERY MAN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, THE COURAGE TO LOVE, LIVING THE TRUTH IN A WORLD OF ILLUSIONS, A PASSION FOR THE POSSIBLE, THE HEART IS A LITTLE TO THE LEFT and CREDO (Westminster John Knox Press, November 2003). He credits Arthur Miller and his English professor at Yale for helping him hone his writing skills.


About First Congregational Church of Berkeley
First Congregational Church of Berkeley (FCCB - www.fccb.org), the financial sponsor of the award, is a progressive Christian community sponsoring Campus Programs that strengthen the relationships between the university community, progressive faith and the congregation. The efforts are two-fold: 1) to identify needs on campus and how these needs are best met by the congregation's social, financial and spiritual assets, and 2) to nurture the students who participate in the common life of the FCCB community.

In the last ten year of Coffin's life, FCCB became his West Coast church, inviting him to regularly teach, preach and inspire the community. By sponsoring this award, FCCB hopes to infuse leaders at UCB with a "passion for the possible" and give force to the spirit of William Sloane Coffin within academe, and thereby throughout the world.


Read Coffin's Obituary in the New York Times