John Vincent Coulter was an American FBI agent and corporate executive known for his anti-communist work and union-busting activities. Born in Albany, New York, to a working-class family with Irish and German roots, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II in the Pacific. After the war, he pursued higher education on the GI Bill, graduating from Siena College and Brooklyn Law School. He then joined the FBI as a special agent, spending nine years primarily in New York City as a 'Red hunter,' investigating communist activities and contributing to high-profile cases such as the capture of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. His early FBI assignment involved background checks for a uranium plant in Paducah, Kentucky, where he met his future wife.

After leaving the FBI, Coulter transitioned to the private sector, joining Phelps Dodge Corporation, a major mining company, where he rose to vice president. He gained notoriety for his role in labor relations, particularly leading efforts to break the 1983 Arizona copper miners' strike, a pivotal event that weakened union power in the U.S. mining industry. Upon retirement, he served on the New Canaan Board of Education in Connecticut, where he lived with his family. Coulter was remembered by his daughter Ann as a stoic, humorous man with a strong moral compass, who enjoyed hobbies like rebuilding Volkswagens and hunting squirrels.

Coulter passed away in 2008 after battling Lewy body dementia. His career reflected staunch conservative values, influencing his family's political leanings. He maintained a low public profile, with most details emerging from family accounts and obituaries.