Rodney M. Coe

Rodney M. Coe (November 10, 1933 – March 14, 2014) was an American medical sociologist notable for his research in the intersection of sociology and medicine. He was on the faculty at Saint Louis University School of Medicine for 29 years, the last ten of which, Coe spent as chair of the department of family and community medicine. He was a longtime advocate for single-payer healthcare.

Early life and education Rodney Michael Coe was born November 10, 1933, in Marquette, Michigan. He was raised in a middle class household in Oskaloosa, Iowa. He had a younger sister. His family moved there when his father, Roy Coe, became a manager at S.S. Kresge Co. His mother, Renee Coe, was a telephone operator for AT&T. Coe was an Eagle Scout.

Coe was on the swim team and in the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps while attending Iowa State University. He met and married Elaine Elwell while completing his undergraduate studies. Upon graduation, he spend two years, active duty, at Fort Riley. After his discharge, he earned a master's degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In 1962, Coe completed a Ph.D. in sociology at Washington University in St. Louis in 1962 and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.