Chapman B. Cox
Encyclopedia
Chapman B. Cox was United States
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
in the first term of the Reagan Administration
and General Counsel
of the United States Department of Defense
during Reagan's second term.
; his father was a Nazarene
minister. Growing up, he attended public schools in Indiana
, Colorado
, and California
. He attended the University of Southern California
, graduating with a B.A.
in 1962; and Harvard Law School
, graduating with a J.D.
in 1965.
Cox joined the United States Marine Corps
as an officer in 1965, seeing duty in the Vietnam War
. Upon leaving the Marine Corps in 1968. Between 1968 and 1981, he practiced law in California
and Colorado
. During this period, he became managing partner of Sherman & Howard
; taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado School of Law
; and was a member of the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association
.
In 1983, President of the United States
Ronald Reagan
nominated Cox as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
and he held this office from June 1983 to June 1984. In 1984, President Reagan named Cox General Counsel
of the United States Department of Defense
.
With the ending of the Reagan Administration
, Cox became president and chief executive officer of the United Service Organizations
.
In the early 2000s, he joined Lockheed Martin
IMS (later sold to Affiliated Computer Services
) as a Senior Vice President.
Long a practicing Christian
, Cox is an ordained elder
in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
. On leaving IMS, Cox became vice chairman of the Alliance Defense Fund
, later becoming Chairman of its Board of Governors. The Alliance Defense Fund is a conservative Christian nonprofit organization
with the stated goal of "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy is a civilian office in the United States Department of the Navy...
in the first term of the Reagan Administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
and General Counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
during Reagan's second term.
Biography
Chapman B. Cox was born in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
; his father was a Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
minister. Growing up, he attended public schools in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, graduating with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1962; and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, graduating with a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1965.
Cox joined the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
as an officer in 1965, seeing duty in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Upon leaving the Marine Corps in 1968. Between 1968 and 1981, he practiced law in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. During this period, he became managing partner of Sherman & Howard
Sherman & Howard
Sherman & Howard L.L.C., established in 1892, is the oldest law firm in Denver, Colorado, USA. It has approximately 190 attorneys practicing in offices in Denver, Colorado Springs, Steamboat Springs, Vail and Aspen, Colorado; Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; St. Louis,...
; taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado School of Law
University of Colorado School of Law
The University of Colorado Law School is one of the professional graduate schools within the University of Colorado System. It is a public law school, with more than 500 students attending and working toward a Juris Doctor or Master of Law. The Wolf Law Building Located in Boulder, Colorado, and...
; and was a member of the Board of Governors of the Colorado Bar Association
State bar association
A state bar association is a bar association that represents or seeks to represent all of the attorneys in a specific U.S. state. Membership in such an association may be voluntary or mandatory for practitioners in that state. State bar associations may be tasked with the administration of the...
.
In 1983, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
nominated Cox as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs)
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy is a civilian office in the United States Department of the Navy...
and he held this office from June 1983 to June 1984. In 1984, President Reagan named Cox General Counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
of the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
.
With the ending of the Reagan Administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
, Cox became president and chief executive officer of the United Service Organizations
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
.
In the early 2000s, he joined Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
IMS (later sold to Affiliated Computer Services
Affiliated Computer Services
Affiliated Computer Services Inc. provides information technology services as well as business process outsourcing solutions to businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. ACS is based in Dallas, Texas and the current CEO is Lynn Blodgett. ACS is ranked at number 341 on the 2010...
) as a Senior Vice President.
Long a practicing Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, Cox is an ordained elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
. On leaving IMS, Cox became vice chairman of the Alliance Defense Fund
Alliance Defense Fund
The Alliance Defense Fund is a conservative Christian nonprofit organization with the stated goal of "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation." ADF was founded in 1994 by the late Bill Bright , the late Larry Burkett , James Dobson The...
, later becoming Chairman of its Board of Governors. The Alliance Defense Fund is a conservative Christian nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
with the stated goal of "defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation."