Paul Cotton gave his all to Howard
By Kelvin Childs
The loss of Paul Cotton (B.S. ’83; M.S. ’88; Ph.D. ’00), outstanding student wrestler, champion wrestling coach, resolute trustee, unofficial archivist and enthusiastic Howard booster is a heartfelt blow to the University community and to those who knew him.
Cotton, a resident of Oxon Hill, Maryland, died January 27, and his memorial service was February 14 at Dunbarton Chapel, befitting his close connection with Howard.
“Dr. Cotton’s connection to Howard spanned decades and generations. A three-time graduate, he embodied the very essence of being Howard Made and Bison Proud and lived with a commitment to excellence, scholarship and service in every chapter of his life,” said Interim President and President Emeritus Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA, FACS, in a letter to the campus community.
Tributes to Cotton poured into social media at the news of his passing, on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and his memorial page, with notes such as this, from Ron Harris: “After all my years at Howard, Paul was still my go to guy when I needed something clarified or cleared up after arguments. He knew everything or would look it up on his faithful phone in seconds. He once found a long-lost HU friend I was searching for, for years. I would be at any HU event. Look around and there he was. I will miss him.”
Cotton came to Howard in 1978 from his native Chicago on a scholarship, joining the wrestling team and reaching the NCAA Eastern Regional Finals in his junior year. He followed his student days as a wrestler as HU’s head wrestling coach from 1983–2000, one of the youngest in the field. He secured a place in Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003 by earning honors as MEAC Coach of the Year in 1995 and NCAA Eastern Region Coach of the Year in 2000.
He served on Howard’s Board of Trustees from 2009–2012, was a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Mu Lambda Chapter, and was former president of the Howard University Alumni Club of Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Professionally, Cotton served as director of the Office of Extramural Research Activities (OERA) at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Previously, he had been a category 3 scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the community nutrition research group at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland. He held other positions over his 22 years in the federal government, including at the National Institute of Nursing Research, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition.
Further Paul Cotton’s great legacy to Howard with a donation to Bison Athletics: Giving Opportunities | Bison Athletics