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Ralph G. Coad
(1888 - 1943)
Nebraska, The Land and the People, Vol. 3. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1931. p. 454-455.
Ralph G. Coad is a native son of the Nebraska metropolis, is a member of one of the sterling pioneer families of this state, and is now one of the representative members of the bar of his native city of Omaha, where he maintains his law offices in the City National Bank Building.
Mr. Coad was born in Omaha on the 17th of June, 1888, and is the youngest of the eight sons of the late John F. and Ellen M. (Leahy) Coad, whose marriage was solemnized in 1870 on the old Leahy farm near Peru, Nebraska, and who became the parents of eight sons and five daughters, all of whom are living.
John F. Coad was born in Ireland and was a lad of about seven years when, in 1849, he came with other members of the family to the United States, the home having first been established at Southampton, Massachusetts. In 1859, at the age of seventeen years, Mr. Coad came with his older brother, Mark, to Nebraska, and initiated his experience in frontier life. The brothers established their residence at Nebraska City and engaged in freighting across the plains to Denver with wagons and ox teams. With this early medium of overland transportation they continued to be associated until the construction of railroads made the business no longer profitable. The brothers then became pioneers in ranching industry in Wyoming, the elder brother assuming active charge of the large ranch near the Wyoming-Nebraska line, and John F. having residence and business headquarters in Cheyenne. This ranch was sold by the Coad Brothers to the Nebraska Land & Cattle Company, Limited, of London, England, for nine hundred and twelve thousand eight hundred and fifty-two dollars in 1883. In 1884 the brothers returned to Nebraska, where John F. established his home in Omaha and Mark Coad continued to reside at Fremont until his death, he having accumulated a large landed estate in Nebraska, and having eventually sold this property, in various parts of the state, and made investment in a ranch of 18,000 acres near Cheynne, Wyoming. Mark Coad was widely known through Nebraska and Wyoming, and gained fame for his absolute physical and moral courage. It was said of him that he feared neither man nor devil. He died, January 3, 1911, at Cheyenne, Wyoming. He and his brother John F. were admirably equipped for the burdens and responsibilities of pioneer life, and in the early days both participated actively in many fights with the Indians.
Upon establishing his residence in Omaha John F. Coad began to make judicious investments in local real estate, and he was one of the substantial capitalists and liberal and public-spirited citizens of Omaha at the time of his death, which occurred October 15, 1910. He was a director of the Merchants National Bank and President of the Packers National Bank, a member of the Metropolitan Utilities District and had many and varied property and capitalistic interests. He was a staunch Democrat, and he and his wife were devout communicants of the Catholic Church. After John F. Coad's death Mrs. Coad maintained the large home on Farnam Street, where she was always surrounded by her children and grandchildren and her many friends. Mrs. Coad died, December 18, 1923.
In the preparatory and general academic departments of Creighton University, at Omaha, Ralph G. Coad continued his studies for a total of five years, and he then entered the University of Nebraska, in which he was graduated in 1911, with the degree Bachelor of Arts. He soon afterward went to the City of New York and was matriculated in the law department of Columbia University. In this institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1913, and his reception of the degree Bachelor of Laws was forthwith followed by his admission to the bar of the State of New York. Thereafter he was engaged in law practice in the national metropolis until the nation became involved in the World war, when, in May, 1917, he promptly volunteered for service in the United States army. He gained commission as first lieutenant, was assigned to the aviation arm of the service, and in this connection he was on duty at various air stations and army camps in different sections of the United States, his service continuing until the armistice brought the war to a close, he having received his honorable discharge on the 14th of December, 1918. He returned to New York City, and after a brief vacation he came again to his native City of Omaha, early in the year 1919, and here resumed the active practice of law, in which he has here proven his resourcefulness both as a trial lawyer of marked ability and as a well fortified counselor.
Mr. Coad is found loyally aligned in the ranks of the Democratic party, he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic Church, and he is an active and popular member of a local post of the American Legion, he having been one of the organizers of this military-fraternal order in the State of Nebraska.
In New York City on the 17th of February, 1920, was solemnized the marriage of Ralph G. Coad and Miss Laura L. Callahan, of Staten Island, New York City, and the two children of this union are daughters�Laura and Adeline.
