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Edward L. Cochran

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Edward L. Cochran
Born1929
NationalityAmerican
Alma materLoyola University, University of Notre Dame, PhD
Known forfree radicals
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry
InstitutionsApplied Physics Laboratory

Edward L. Cochran (born 1929) was a chemist known for his work with free radicals. In 1956 he moved from Orange, Connecticut to Ellicott City, Maryland and began his career at Applied Physics Laboratory.[1] He also served as the second County Executive of Howard County, Maryland.[2]

Education and career

Dr. Cochran graduated from Loyola University in 1949. He earned his PhD. from the University of Notre Dame.[3] Cochran worked for the Applied Physics Laboratory as a chemist for most of his career except for the period which he was County Executive of Howard County, Maryland.[4] As chemist, Dr. Cochran was part of a team that carried out pioneering studies on the nature of free radicals, along with Chih-Kung Jen, Frank. J. Adrian, Vernon A. Bowers, Samuel Foner, and others, including the description of the Electron Spin Resonance spectra of simple free radicals trapped in solid matrices at cryogenic temperatures.[5] Dozens of free radicals were described for the first time, including hydrogen, deuterium, nitrogen, methane, alkyl, formyl, ethynyl and vinyl, NH2 and ND2 and cyanogen and Methylene Imino.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Their paper on electron spin resonance proved to be one of the most frequently cited APL publications into the 21st century.[13][14] Following his term as County Executive, Cochran returned as spokesman for the Applied Physics Laboratory.[15]

Political activity

Cochran was a member of the Howard County Board of Education from 1964 until 1968. The Board of Education had pursued a policy of voluntary integration prior to 1964, which resulted in only a fraction of black students attending white schools.[16] As late as 1964, ten years after Brown v. Board of Education, the board stated that it would not consider forcing integration until 1967, to "allow for a reasonable period of adjustment" to the change.[16] However, in May 1964, as the county experienced increasing growth, the board was expanded to five members, and Cochran was appointed as one of the board's new members.[17] He is credited by Maryland State Senator Robert Kittleman, then the education chairman of Howard County's NAACP chapter, for providing the swing vote on 9 February 1965 to close all-black schools.[18][19][20] Cochran served as a Howard County councilman from 1971 to 1974. Dr. Cochran served as County Executive of Howard County and a member of the Regional Planning Council from 1974 to 1978.[21] Cochran was a member of the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board, from 1977 to 1980.[22]

In 2009, the Howard County Human Rights Commission awarded Dr. Cochran the 2009 Human Rights Award.[23] In 2010 Dr. Cochran was awarded the James Clark Jr. Medal from Howard County Community College for his role in growing Howard Community College as a member of the board of trustees.[24]

References

  1. ^ "Ellicott City Events". The Baltimore Sun. 29 January 1956.
  2. ^ Joseph R. Mitchell, David Stebenne. New City Upon a Hill: A History of Columbia, Maryland. p. 112.
  3. ^ Michael J. Clark (2 December 1974). "Howard's New Executive". The Baltimore Sun.
  4. ^ "As Keeper of County's Past, Activist Helps Shape Future; Preservation Group's President Uses Political Savvy, Civic Skills". The Washington Post. 13 September 2001.
  5. ^ http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v40/i1/p213_s1?isAuthorized=no
  6. ^ http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v36/i7/p1938_s1
  7. ^ http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v32/i4/p963_s1
  8. ^ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1958PhRv..112.1169J
  9. ^ http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v34/i4/p1161_s1
  10. ^ http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v40/i1/p213_s1
  11. ^ http://prl.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v1/i3/p91_1
  12. ^ http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v36/i6/p1661_s1
  13. ^ http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v112/i4/p1169_1
  14. ^ W. Berl (1996). "Chih Kung Jen—A Remembrance". Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest 17 (3): 330–332.
  15. ^ Micheal J Clark (29 November 1978). "Cochran going back". The Baltimore Sun.
  16. ^ a b http://archives.explorehoward.com/news/6008414/triumphs-ruling-still-resonate-after-50-years/#ixzz2XAOtiWLo
  17. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21091-2004May12.html
  18. ^ http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2004-02-01/news/0402010072_1_howard-county-tubman-avery
  19. ^ Susan DeFord (13 May 2004). "Difficult Change, One Step at a Time School Board's Go-Slow Ways Challenged". Baltimore Sun.
  20. ^ YLAN Q. MUI (8 March 1972). "Bringing Innovation To Schools: Integration". The Baltimore Sun.
  21. ^ Micheal J Clark (6 November 1974). "Cochran beats Crist; Democrats win council". The Baltimore Sun.
  22. ^ "County Executives". Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  23. ^ "2012 Human Rights Commission Award". Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  24. ^ "Howard Community College". Retrieved 22 June 2013.

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