Born: September 12, 1922
Died: June 8, 2010
Ohio connection: Resident
Columbus
Charles Cole has conducted research on early books published in Ohio and on the first books published in Columbus. Born in Altoona, PA, Dr. Cole earned his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D. from Columbia University. His professional experiences include serving as the president of Wilson College; provost, dean, and professor of history at Lafayette College; and associate dean, assistant dean, and lecturer in history at Columbia University. In 1976, he became executive director of the Ohio Humanities Council, a position he held until 1990. He has published a myriad of articles, mostly related to higher education and history. Cole also wrote a number of books, including A Fragile Capital – Identity and the Early Years of Columbus, Ohio, which is an engaging and informative account of Columbus’ first four decades, encompassing all economic classes and ethnic and racial groups that worked together to help build the state capital. Charles Cole died June 18, 2010.
Awards:
Dr. Cole is a recipient of the Ohio Academy of History’s 1990 Distinguished Service Award and the 2001 Bjornson Award for Distinguished Service in the Humanities from the Ohio Humanities Council. Ohioana Pegasus Award, 2007.