Representative James Kitchenman Coyne

James Kitchenman Coyne III (born November 17, 1946) is an American businessman and former politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 1983. His single term in Congress took place during a significant period in American history, and as a member of the House of Representatives he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his constituents in Pennsylvania.

Coyne was born on November 17, 1946, in Farmville, Virginia, to Pearl Beatrice (née Black) and James Kitchenman Coyne Jr. He is a great-great-grandson of James Kitchenman, a Philadelphia manufacturer, linking him to a longstanding Pennsylvania business family. During his childhood his family moved to Pennsylvania, and he was educated in the Philadelphia suburbs. He graduated from Abington High School in Abington, Pennsylvania, in 1964.

Coyne pursued higher education at two of the nation’s leading universities. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University in 1968. He then attended Harvard Business School, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1970. This combination of liberal arts and advanced business training prepared him for a career that would span private enterprise, academia, and public service.

Following his graduation from Harvard, Coyne embarked on a business career. He became president of Coyne Chemical Corporation in 1971, a position he held for a decade until 1981. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he worked as a businessman and consultant. From 1974 to 1979, he served as a lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught courses related to business and management, reflecting his growing expertise in the private sector.

Coyne’s entry into elective office began at the local level. In 1980 he served as a supervisor of Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. That same year, he successfully ran for Congress as a Republican, being elected to the 97th Congress and beginning his term on January 3, 1981. From 1981 to 1983, he served one term as a Representative from Pennsylvania in the United States Congress. During this period he contributed to the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1982 and left Congress at the conclusion of his term on January 3, 1983.

After leaving Congress, Coyne continued his public service at the federal level. From 1983 to 1985 he served as a special assistant to President Ronald Reagan and was director of the White House Office of Private Sector Initiatives, where he worked to encourage private-sector involvement in addressing public needs. He then moved into leadership roles in national trade and advocacy organizations. From 1985 to 1986 he was chief executive officer of the American Consulting Engineers Council. From 1986 to 1988 he served as president of the American Tort Reform Association, reflecting his interest in legal and regulatory issues affecting business. In 1987 he founded Americans to Limit Congressional Terms, an organization dedicated to promoting term limits for members of Congress.

Coyne also engaged in public policy advocacy through writing. He co‑authored the book Cleaning House with journalist John Fund, a work that promoted the use of state referendums to establish term limits for members of the U.S. Congress. In 1994 he was chosen president of the National Air Transportation Association, a major trade group representing the interests of the general aviation business community. He held that position from 1994 until 2012, overseeing the association’s activities on behalf of aviation service companies and operators.

On October 24, 1970, Coyne married Helen Biddle Mercer. The couple has three children: Alexander Black, Katherine Mercer, and Michael Atkinson. Maintaining his long-standing ties to Pennsylvania, James Kitchenman Coyne III is a resident of Newtown, Pennsylvania.