Richard Joseph Coelho was born July 26, 1913 in Newark, Ohio. He received his AB degree from Denison University in 1935 an MA degree from the University of Denver in 1954, and a PhD from the University of Denver in 1955. He served in World War II from 1941-1945 as a officer in the US army. He commanded a rifle company during the Normandy landings. Then he was an intelligence staff officer in the Belgian, German and Czechoslovakian campaigns. Helen Lindquist was born on October 4, 1916, in Lincoln Nebraska. In 1942 she joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and trained the Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School in Iowa. She met Richard Coelho, at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin. Helen was later stationed in Paris, and managed a communications center for the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force Headquarters. Helen and Richard married in Paris on June 4, 1945. She later received a diploma in interior design and worked for a furniture store. She also volunteered at hospitals. Richard came to MSU as instructor in September 1955 in the Department of Communication Skills and became an assistant professor in 1958. In 1959 Richard took a leave of absence to work for United State Information Service in Brazil as director of the Bi-national Cultural Center in Juiz de Fora. He directed the USIS film and library program. Helen and the children moved to Brazil as well. When he returned to MSU in 1961 he was the University College coordinator for continuing education. In July 1964 he became an associate professor in American Thought and Language and became a professor in 1968. From 1971-1974 he was assistant dean, University College and in 1974 he was made associate dean. Richard Coelho retired in 1980 and passed away on November 11, 1989 Helen married William D. Fries in 1992 and passed away on July 8, 2016.

Sources: Richard Coehlo obituary, Lansing State Journal, November 18, 1989; Richard Coelho biographical file, UA 8.1.1; Helen Coelho-Fries obituary.