Cochran graduated with a B.S. from Loyola University in 1949. He achieved a master's degree in chemistry from Duquesne University in 1951 with a thesis on Basicities of Various Hydrazones.[5] He earned his PhD from the University of Notre Dame with a thesis on the photolysis of the alkyl iodides in the liquid phase.[6][7]
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.[8] As chemist, 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.[9] 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.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Their paper on electron spin resonance proved to be one of the most frequently cited APL publications into the 21st century.[17][18]
Following his term as County Executive, Cochran returned as spokesman for the Applied Physics Laboratory, and learned how to fly at Haysfield Airport.[19][20] Cochran's family has remained active in Howard County. His son William is an active artist with works proposed for Symphony Woods, his daughter Courtney Watson became a school board member, County Councilperson, and Maryland State Delegate.[21][22][circular reference] His daughter Mary Catherine is a founding member of Preservation Howard County, winning the preservationist of the year award for defending and preserving the remaining county historical resources after significant losses to land development approved by the county.[23]
Political activity
Cochran served part-time as a member of the Howard County Board of Education (1964–1968) becoming chairman and as a Howard County Councilperson (1971–1974).[24][25] Cochran served as Howard County Executive (1974–1978), running on a slate of Columbia Democratic Club sponsored representatives from Columbia including Ginny Thomas, Lloyd Knowles, Richard Anderson and Ruth U. Keeton.[26] He was a member of the Regional Planning Council (1974–1978) and of the Criminal Justice Information Advisory Board, (1977–1980).[27] Other activities include: Board of Appeals candidate (1980),[28] Howard County Task Force on growth and development (1988),[29] and Howard County Charter Review Commission (2012).[30]
Human Rights
Desegregation of Howard County Schools
The Howard County School Board had pursued a policy of voluntary integration prior to 1964, which resulted in only a fraction of black students attending white schools.[31] 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.[31] 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.[32] 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 February 9, 1965, to close all-black schools.[33][34][35]
Human Rights Act
In 1975, as County Executive, Dr. Cochran introduced an act establishing an Office of Human Rights and making discrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, physical or mental handicap, color, sex, national origin, age, occupation, marital status, political opinion, sexual orientation, or personal appearance in the areas of housing, employment, law enforcement, public accommodations, and financing unlawful in Howard County Maryland.[36]
Awards
In 2009, the Howard County Human Rights Commission awarded Cochran the 2009 Human Rights Award.[37] In 2010 he 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.[38]
References
^"Historic Ellicott City Wayside Inn up for sale Centuries-old inn is on the market, and could be converted to private residence". Explore Howard. 19 July 2012.
^Luke Broadwater (7 November 2002). "Watson strides to board win Daughter of former county exec follows dad's footsteps". Baltimore Sun.
^"Ellicott City Events". The Baltimore Sun. 29 January 1956.
^Joseph R. Mitchell, David Stebenne. New City Upon a Hill: A History of Columbia, Maryland. p. 112.
^Duquesne University Bulletin 1952-1953: 77. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^Michael J. Clark (2 December 1974). "Howard's New Executive". The Baltimore Sun.
^"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.
^Jen, C. K.; Foner, S. N.; Cochran, E. L.; Bowers, V. A. (1958). "Electron Spin Resonance of Atomic and Molecular Free Radicals Trapped at Liquid Helium Temperature". Physical Review. 112 (4): 1169. Bibcode:1958PhRv..112.1169J. doi:10.1103/physrev.112.1169.
^Micheal J Clark (29 November 1978). "Cochran going back". The Baltimore Sun.
^Janene Holzberg (19 December 2013). "Clarksville's Basslers say goodbye to family farm, Haysfield Airport". The Baltimore Sun.
^"Cochran making a sound contribution to his hometown of Columbia Renowned artist creates multi-horn concept for Symphony Woods". The Baltimore Sun. 2 March 2014.
^"Former Howard executive Cochran tries for position on county board of appeals". The Baltimore Sun. 23 September 1980.
^Lisa Leff (14 July 1988). "Task Force Scratching The Surface: Consensus on Growth Just the Beginning". The Washington Post. p. MD11.
^Lindsey McPherson (10 November 2011). "Panel says no to suggested eminent domain charter amendment". The Howard County Times.
^ ab"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-05-20. Retrieved 2013-07-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
