Joseph Hathaway Cosby
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Joseph Hathaway Cosby
OR:
Joseph Hathaway Cosby on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

Joseph Hathaway Cosby (June 2, 1902October 11, 1998) was an American
pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
, US Army chaplain, and the third President of
Hargrave Military Academy Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private, all-male, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a col ...
.


Biography

Joseph Hathaway Cosby was born on June 2, 1902 in
Hampton, Virginia Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...
to Joseph Hugh and Harriet Hathaway Cosby. After attending a variety of public schools, he entered
Fork Union Military Academy Fork Union Military Academy (abbreviated as FUMA) is a private, all-male, college preparatory military boarding school located in Fork Union, Virginia. Founded in 1898, Fork Union is considered one of the premier military boarding academies in th ...
, from which he graduated in 1921. Cosby then attended the
University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School ...
, the
University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
, and the
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is a Baptist theological institute in Louisville, Kentucky. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The seminary was founded in 1859 in Greenville, South Carolina, where it was at ...
, receiving a degree from each college. On September 17, 1924, Cosby married Helen Frances Eubank of
Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
. They had one daughter, Jane Cosby. Joseph Cosby was a pastor in
Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...
when the United States entered
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He joined the US Army Chaplain Corps in October 1942 and served until January 1946. Twenty-one months of Cosby's service were spent in the
European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...
. Cosby received six
battle stars A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
and achieved the rank of
major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
. After his return to the United States, Cosby served as a pastor in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
and Lexington, Virginia. He succeeded Colonel Aubrey H. Camden as President of Hargrave Military Academy in
Chatham, Virginia Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, Pittsylvania County. Chatham's population was 1,269 at the 2010 census. It is included in the ...
on July 28, 1951. Cosby became known as Colonel Cosby during this time, since the President is by tradition an honorary colonel if he hasn't achieved that rank or higher in military service. Cosby retired as President at the end of the 1969-1970 year, with then-Dean Vernon T. Lankford being his successor. In 1984, Cosby published a book on Hargrave Military Academy, ''From Ashes To Excellence, 19501970''. The book draws its title from the fire of 1950 and the subsequent rebuilding of the academy. Four thousand copies were printed, costing Hargrave approximately $12,000. Cosby died in Newport News on October 11, 1998, at the age of 96. His wife had predeceased him after 62 years of marriage. Colonel
John W. Ripley John Walter Ripley (June 29, 1939 – October 28, 2008) was a decorated United States Marine Corps Colonel who received the Navy Cross for his actions in combat during the Vietnam War. On Easter morning 1972, Captain Ripley repeatedly exposed hi ...
and an honor guard of nine Hargrave cadets were among those present at his funeral.


Legacy

Colonel Cosby is well-remembered at Hargrave, where he was President for nineteen years. One of the most important buildings on campus, the Joseph H. Cosby Humanities and Sciences building, is named in his honor.


Education

* 1921 High School Diploma, Fork Union Military Academy, Fork Union, Virginia * 1929 Bachelor of Arts degree, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia * Bachelor of Theology degree, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky * Master of Arts degree, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia * Doctor of Laws degree, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia


Further reading

*
Review on amazon.com
* *


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Joseph Hathaway 1902 births 1998 deaths People from Hampton, Virginia University of Richmond alumni University of Virginia alumni Southern Baptist Theological Seminary alumni World War II chaplains