Historian
Bill Coate has been writing for The Madera Tribune since 1992. He has been in the public eye for more than 40 years through radio, television, and the print media, having won national awards for his unique approach for propagating knowledge of matters historical. Coate established his reputation as historian through a near perfect performance in college and graduate school, earning his Master’s degree, summa cum laude, in history. He was named California History Teacher of the Year (1985), National History Teacher of the Year (1986), California Teacher of the Year finalist (1988), and Disney’s American Teacher Award winner (1999).
Bill was featured in Harvard University’s documentary, “Inside the Creative Classroom” (2000) , and in a public service announcement, “The Power of Teaching” (2000). He was awarded the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award in 2018 and the Golden Quill Award for journalism in 2019.
Bill and his wife Mary live in Madera. They have five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.