William E. Co.x
Hall of Fame Class of 1999
As the Education Programs Administrator for the U. S. Air Force (1974-1986), William E. Cox was responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating educational programs for Air Force men and women worldwide. He brought quality and innovation to his role, providing sound professional advice and formulating educational policies and methodologies for Air Force Command Education Directors throughout the world. Dr. Cox was responsible for the administration of credit and noncredit studies that addressed the varied educational needs of the young adult and adult audiences he was serving.
Throughout his career as an adult educator with the Air Force, Dr. Cox won high praise from local commanders and staff officers for his comprehensive view of adult and continuing education and the visionary manner in which he responded to the myriad needs of his constituencies. He has long been an advocate of the underserved and underrepresented in society and took steps to ensure access and opportunity for all Air Force personnel, especially men and women of color, who had been victims of discrimination in many of their educational and career experiences.
After leaving the Air Force in 1986, Dr. Cox continued his pursuit of educational excellence through the creation of a multi-faceted communications firm, Cox, Matthews, & Associates, Inc. He was the founding president of Black Issues In Higher Education, the nation's only periodical dedicated to issues for and about individuals of color in higher education and one of the most highly respected and widely read publications in the education community.
Dr. Cox has advanced the quality of adult and continuing education through the publication of special reports, research, and news not covered in other educational periodicals. The Black Issues videoconference series, begun in 1989, has dealt with equally important, often controversial issues facing American education. Dr. Cox has been extremely active in calling attention to the education of minorities and the role that historically black colleges and universities play in American education.