Grady C. Cothen

Grady C. Cothen is a pastor, state convention executive secretary-director for the Southern Baptist Convention, author, university president, and seminary president.

Cothen was born in Poplarville, Ms. on August 2,1920 to Rev. & Mrs. J. H. Cothen. He married Martha E. (Bettye) Major and had two children; Grady, Jr., Carole Shields.

He attended from Hattiesburg High School, graduated Mississippi College, and received his doctorate from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained in to Baptist Ministry at Richton, Ms. Baptist Church in 1939. [ [http://library.samford.edu/about/sc/gcothen.html Cothen Collection, Special Collection - Samford University Library ] ]

ervice

* Chaplain, U. S. Navy, 1944-46
* Pastor: White Oak Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tn. 1946-48
* Olivet Baptist Church, Oklahoma City, Ok. 1948-59
* First Baptist Church, Birmingham, Al. 1959-61
* Executive Secretary, Southern Baptist General Convention of Ca. 1961 – 1966.
* President of Oklahoma Baptist University 1966-70
* President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary 1970-74
* President of Southern Baptist Sunday School Board 1975-84 [ [http://library.samford.edu/about/sc/gcothen.html Cothen Collection, Special Collection - Samford University Library ] ]

Awards

* Distinguished Alumnus Award, New Orleans Baptist Seminary
* Order of The Golden Arrow, Mississippi College
* E. Y. Mullins Denominational Service Award, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
* Listed in Who's Who in America since 1970 until retirement.

Honorary Degrees

* Doctor of Divinity, Mississippi College
* Doctor of Divinity, California Baptist College
* Doctor of Laws, William Jewell College
* Doctor of Humanities, University of Richmond
* Doctor of Humane Letters, Campbell University
* Doctor of Humane Letters, Oklahoma Baptist University

Books

* "The God of The Beginnings"
* "Faith and Higher Education"
* "Unto All The World: Bold Mission"
* "What Happened to The Southern Baptist Convention?"
* "The New SBC: Fundamentalism's Impact on The Southern Baptist Convention"

OBU President

During Cothen's tenure as president the Howard Residence was completed, the Oklahoma Baptist University Authority was incorporated, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education accredited all OBU programs, and The Geiger Center for University Life was completed. [ [http://www2.okbu.edu/library/archives/archindex1.htm OBU Archives ] ]

References

* [http://library.samford.edu/about/sc/gcothen.html The Papers of Grady C. Cothen]
* [http://www2.okbu.edu/library/archives/archindex1.htm Oklahoma Baptist University Archives]
* [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8294(199406)33%3A2%3C188%3AWHTTSB%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 JSTOR: Journal for Scientific Study of Religion]
* [http://www.cccu.org/about/orgID.255,category.alumni/member_detail.asp Council for Christian Colleges and Universities]
* [http://mainstreambaptists.org/mbn1/baptist1.htm Baptist History]