Sarah Coleman
Assistant Professor
Office | TMH 225
Phone | 512.245.0869
Email | src202@txstate.edu
Website | sarahrcoleman.com
Education
BA, Yale University
MPhil, University of Cambridge
PhD, Princeton University
Research Interests
Immigration, Race and Rights in the U.S., Public Policy, Social Movements
Sarah Coleman is a historian of 20th century America. Her research is focused on the intersection of politics and public policy. Her teaching focuses on political history, public policy development and immigration history.
Dr. Coleman is the author of The Walls Within: The Politics of Immigration in Modern America (Princeton University Press, 2021) which traces the struggle of politicians, activists, interest groups, communities and the courts to define the rights of immigrants in the United States after the passage of the Hart-Celler Act of 1965. The Walls Within was named the winner of the Theodore Saloutos Book Award for best book on any aspect of the immigration history of the United States from the Immigration and Ethnic History Society.
Dr. Coleman’s current research explores the political power and impact of Sam Rayburn, a figure whose influence in the corridors of American power and policymaking resonated for more than half a century. Sam Rayburn served as Speaker of the House of Representatives three separate times for a total of over 17 years. Through previously unexplored archival materials, this work will provide new insights Rayburn’s leadership and decision-making and how Congress successfully passed legislation that addressed questions of grave consequence for the nation during Rayburn’s time. This work will offer critical lessons for today on addressing partisan polarization, building consensus, developing institutional respect, and achieving bipartisan legislative accomplishments.
Dr. Coleman holds a BA from Yale University, a MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a PhD in History from Princeton University. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University.