Dear faculty and staff,
It is with great sadness that I write to share that Edward Cox, professor emeritus of history, died recently at age 81.
Edward’s service to Rice was extensive throughout his 27-year tenure and beyond. He was a four-time recipient of the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching and the founding director of Rice’s thriving Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program, which continues to support minority students pursuing doctoral degrees. For 22 years, he served as the faculty sponsor for the Black Student Association. In 2018, he was honored with the Association of Rice Alumni’s Meritorious Service Award.
More recently, Edward served on the steering committee for the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice.
At least two of his former Rice students, Alex Byrd ’90 and Fay Yarbrough ’97, went on to become Edward’s faculty colleagues and leaders at Rice. “He was a phenomenal instructor, known for the great care he took with his students and for the tremendous passion with which he taught. In any course of Dr. Cox’s, there would be days when folks left wiping their eyes,” recalls Alex, now Rice’s vice provost for diversity, equity and inclusion.
You can read more about Edward and his tremendous passion for diversity, teaching and research in Rice News.
His memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12 at Saint James Episcopal Church, 3129 Southmore Blvd. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be directed to the church’s Althea Gibson Scholarship Fund.
Please join me in honoring and remembering Edward’s legacy.
Warm regards,
Amy Dittmar,
Howard R. Hughes Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs