Harold Coker, founder of Coker Tire Co. in Chattanooga, which produces tires for antique vehicles, died Sunday. He was 84.
Coker, born Dec. 24, 1929, in Cherokee, N.C., was the first in his family to earn a college degree, graduating from Tennessee Wesleyan College in 1949 with an associate’s degree in chemical engineering, reported Tire Business, an Automotive News affiliate.
He went on to graduate from Tennessee Tech two years later with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry, his obituary said.
Coker started Coker Tire in Athens, Tenn., in 1958. He moved the business to Chattanooga in 1961. The company became the largest supplier of collector car tires and wheels in the world, Tire Business said.
“Harold Coker is loved and respected across our community and throughout the collector car community the world over,” a Coker Tire blog post said. “His passion for collector cars and people have influenced so many over the years.”
Coker had a long list of leadership roles. He helped found the Athens chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America in 1957, becoming national president in 1972.
Coker also served as president of the National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association, as a lieutenant in the National Guard and as chairman of the Hamilton County Commission in Tennessee.
While Coker served on the county commission, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission. He ran for Congress in 1988.
For more on Coker's life from Tire Business, click here.
