Eddie R. Cole
Moore Hall 3135
405 Hilgard Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521
ON LEAVE AY 23-24
Eddie R. Cole, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Education and History at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of the multi-award-winning book, The Campus Color Line: College Presidents and the Struggle for Black Freedom (Princeton University Press, 2020).
He is also a 2023-24 fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
A scholar of leadership, race, and social movements through the prism of higher education, Professor Cole routinely addresses power and systems of power; education’s impact on society; and higher education and organizational change. His historical research has been supported by the Radcliffe Institute, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (now the Institute for Citizens & Scholars), Spencer Foundation and National Academy of Education, the University of Chicago, and Princeton University.
Professor Cole uses extensive, historical materials to demonstrate the role of higher education in influencing all aspects of American life. He also leverages his research to highlight solutions to the complex and nuanced challenges that have plagued society for generations.
His book, The Campus Color Line, is a history of how academic leaders shaped racial policies and practices during the mid-twentieth century. It was awarded five book prizes:
• 2022: Outstanding Publication Award, American Educational Research Association, Division J.
• 2021: Outstanding Book Award, History of Education Society
• 2021: Frederic W. Ness Book Award, Association of American Colleges & Universities
• 2021: Outstanding Book Award, Association for the Study of Higher Education
• 2021: Critics’ Choice Book Award, American Educational Studies Association
His impact beyond the academy has been demonstrated as sought-after speaker, frequent essays and op-eds in national and international media outlets (see the Guardian, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chronicle of Higher Education), and appearances as an expert commentator for CNN, BBC World News, MSNBC, and C-Span Book TV.
In addition to The Campus Color Line, Professor Cole has published in the Journal of African American History, Peabody Journal of Education, and Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Professor Cole is also a senior fellow for the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy.
Education
- Ph.D., Higher Education, Indiana University
- M.S.Ed., Student Affairs Administration, Indiana University
- B.S., Speech Communication, Tennessee State University
Awards, Honors, Fellowships
- 2023: Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University
- 2022: Winner of the Outstanding Publication Award, American Educational Research Association, Division J.
- 2021: Winner of the Outstanding Book Award, History of Education Society
- 2021: Winner of the Frederic W. Ness Book Award, Association of American Colleges & Universities
Select Publications
- Cole, E. R. (2020). The Campus Color Line: College Presidents and the Struggle for Black Freedom (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press).
- Cole, E. R. (2020). Race at the Top: Historical Insights on the College Presidency and Racial Inequities. Change, 52(2), 17-21.
- Cole, E. R. (2018). College Presidents and Black Student Protests: A Historical Perspective on the Image of Racial Inclusion and the Reality of Exclusion. Peabody Journal of Education, 93(1), 78-89.
- Cole, E. R., & Harper, S. R. (2017). Race and Rhetoric. An Analysis of College Presidents’ Statements on Campus Racial Incidents. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 10(4), 318-333.
