Fayetteville State University names Cox as Dean of College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Fayetteville, N.C. (August 05, 2022) — Marcus S. Cox, Ph.D., has been named Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Fayetteville State University (FSU), effective August 1, 2022. He assumes the deanship from Interim Dean Sharon E. Williams, Ph.D., who has served in that capacity since October 2020.
Cox comes to FSU from the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was a Fellow. He also has served as associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he was also the founding director of the African American and Diaspora Studies program. Prior to that, he served as assistant dean of The Citadel School of Humanities and Social Sciences and associate dean of The Citadel Graduate College with responsibility for Evening Undergraduate Studies at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Cox to FSU to lead our College of Humanities and Social Sciences,” said Monica T. Leach, Ed.D., provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “His wealth of military expertise coupled with his vast knowledge in American history, African American history and military service make him an exceptional addition to our faculty and our leadership team. I am delighted as well that our students will have such an outstanding scholar and educator to further enrich their academic experience here.”
Cox specializes in African American civil-military history, the Modern Civil Rights Movement, African American history, and U.S. history post-1945. He is the author of over two dozen articles, reviews, and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals and academic publications on the history of African American military history, black higher education and military training programs at black colleges and universities. He is also the author of Segregated Soldiers: Military Training at Historically Black Colleges in the Jim Crow South (Louisiana State University Press).
Cox’s current book project documents the life and contributions of several unknown local civil rights activists who were also military veterans in Louisiana and Alabama in the post-World War II era. He hopes to inspire today’s young Americans with this story of sacrifice, courage, and servant-leadership in local communities throughout the Deep South and demonstrate that the fight for racial justice and equality has a historic connection to military service and training.
Cox is a member of the Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee to the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and a former member of the Advisory Committee for the Roundtable Discussion on Diversity and Inclusion, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. Among many organizations and associations, Cox is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the Knights of Peter Claver, and the American Conference of Academic Deans.
Cox earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in history from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from The Tommy and Victoria School of Business at The Citadel Military College of South Carolina. Cox earned his Ph.D. in American history from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.