Owen Vincent Coffin was born in 1836 in Mansfield, New York, and studied at Cortland Academy and Charlotteville Seminary. He began his career as a salesman before representing a Connecticut manufacturing firm in New York. Coffin later moved to Connecticut, where he served as president of the Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company and mayor of Middletown. He was active in various civic and religious organizations and held positions in the Connecticut Senate and as governor, where he championed labor reforms and child protection laws.

Owen Vincent Coffin's political identity is marked by an intriguing blend of progressive social reforms and economic pragmatism. His legislative efforts to prohibit convict labor in essential industries and to ban child labor reveal a progressive stance on labor rights. Yet, Coffin's support for labor unions while maintaining ties to business interests suggests a nuanced approach to economic policy. His civic engagement, particularly with the Brooklyn YMCA and the United States Christian Commission, underscores a commitment to social welfare, hinting at a broader philosophy that balances moral imperatives with economic realities.