William Coates (June 2, 1911 – February 24, 2004) was an American man from Maryland who was an unverified claimant as a supercentenarian whose actual age was subsequently disputed.
Coates came to wider prominence when he was covered in a 1999 Washington Post article regarding a celebration of his 110th birthday, with some further coverage in 2002. When Coates died on 24 February 2004, The Washington Post reported that he had "nine children, 21 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren from two relationships".
On his death, news reports said Coates was believed to have been the oldest man in the United States aged 114 years, based upon his nursing home records that gave his year of birth as 1889. The Washington Post noted in their March 2004 follow-up story that none of Coates' relatives had ever claimed he was 114, and that they knew little of his life.
See also
- Centenarian
- Longevity claims
- Longevity traditions
- Supercentenarian