Coleman Jennings

Coleman Jennings (February 12, 1892 – December 2, 1978) was an American philanthropist, religious leader, and businessman. He had an early career in the banking and finance field before retiring early to focus on philanthropy and community work. He founded the Washington, D.C. branch of Toc H and, in the late 1930s and early 1940s, was the president of the Community Chest of Washington, which later became a part of the United Way of America. Jennings was also a layman and speaker in the Episcopal Church.

Early life and education Coleman Jennings was born on February 12, 1892, in Johannesburg, South Africa. His father, Hennen Jennings, was a consulting mining engineer for H. Eckstein & Company in Johannesburg and, later, a consulting engineer for the United States Bureau of Mines. His mother was Mary L. Jennings. and later earned his A.B. at Harvard University in 1915. He also attended Harvard Law School for two years. In 1918, he served as an aide to President Woodrow Wilson during the Versailles Peace Conference in France. He was also a member of the board of directors of Riggs National Bank. He served as an honorary director there until his death in 1978. and Associated Charities. He served on the board of Associated Charities (which later became known as the "Family Service Association") throughout the decade before working as the president of the organization into the 1930s. He also helped establish the Toc H movement in the United States, founding the first group in Washington known as "Mark 1" in 1929.

After his retirement from finance work in 1928, he spent a year studying theology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and, in 1930, became the associate secretary for student work at the U.S.-based National Council of the Episcopal Church. In the following years, he traveled throughout the country, often speaking as a layman to student and youth groups. Throughout the 1930s, he expanded his roles at various Washington-based charities and organizations, serving as director of the Washington Heart Association, the YMCA, the Northeast Boys' Club, the Family Service Association, and the Summer Outing Committee. He was also named the head of the Special Gifts Unit at the Community Chest of Washington in 1935. He had been working with the Community Chest in some capacity since 1928.

In 1936, he established the first U.S.-based "Coleman Jennings Boys' Club" in Washington. Members of the club performed acts of service throughout the community. The first overall "CJ Club" was founded in 1928 in Edinburgh. a position he held until the early 1940s. and a member of the council of the Washington National Cathedral. His work with the National Cathedral continued into the 1940s. In 1948, he was elected to the position of Chapter of the cathedral, and he also served on the cathedral's building and monuments and memorials committees.

Throughout his life, Jennings was a close friend and confidant to other religious and cultural figures including Reverend Tubby Clayton (the founder of Toc H) and Howard Thurman (an author, theologian, and civil rights leader). Jennings died on December 2, 1978, of an apparent heart attack in Washington, D.C.at age 86.