Dr. Donald R. Cole was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. The sixth of eight children, he was academically encouraged by his parents and siblings. His early attraction to mathematics grew from the fact that the subject was not subjective, and completing his homework attracted girls. Good high school teachers prepared him well for college. Growing up in the civil rights era of the South, he chose the recently integrated University of Mississippi (UM) to begin his college career. He was pleased that his high school preparation served him well as he accelerated in his mathematics classes, but the racial climate of the era soon led to his expulsion from UM for participating in racial protests. Tougaloo College offered him the opportunity to complete his bachelor’s degree with a dual major in Mathematics and Physics. Tougaloo also allowed him the opportunity to study statistics and mathematics at Berkeley for two summers, where he met his first mathematics mentor, Dr. David Blackwell, who encouraged his interest in graduate school. He took a master’s degree from the University of Michigan before moving on to the State University of New York at Buffalo to pursue his doctorate. There, he met his second mathematical mentor, Dr. Scott Williams (as well as his wife, Marcia!). Donald made a critical decision in his life when he returned to the University of Mississippi to complete his doctorate. Any second-guessing of that decision was annihilated upon completion of the doctorate in Partial Differential Equations under the direction of William V. Smith.

Dr. Cole played an active leadership role in policy making, teaching, research, and diversification at the University. Believing that education is the “great equalizer” and the central feature in the prevailing endurance of mankind, Dr. Cole is a stern advocate for education, particularly for minority students. He devotes his time and energy to projects and causes that promote educational opportunities for our children, particularly those leading to advanced degrees. Dr. Cole is extremely proud of his efforts to increase the production of Black Ph. D.s at the University. Because of his efforts, the American Mathematical Society recognized the department as a “Mathematics Programs That Make A Difference” recipient for its record-breaking number of Black Ph.D. D.s produced. Dr. Cole is married to Marcia, a minister of the Gospel, and they have three children. He enjoys yard work, attending church services, maintaining aquariums, and photography.