Leonard A. Cole
Born
Leonard Aaron Cohen

(1933-09-01)September 1, 1933
Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedSeptember 18, 2022(2022-09-18) (aged 89)
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley; University of Pennsylvania; Columbia University

Leonard Aaron Cole (September 1, 1933 – September 18, 2022), was an American dentist, political scientist and expert on bioterrorism and terror medicine. He was adjunct professor of political science at Rutgers University-Newark, New Jersey and of emergency medicine at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. A pioneer in developing the field of terror medicine,[1] he was founding director of the Program on Terror Medicine and Security at the medical school.[2][3]

Early life

Cole was born Leonard Aaron Cohen in Paterson, New Jersey, on September 1, 1933.[4] His father, Morris Cohen, was the owner of several delis in New York City and in New Jersey; his mother, Rebecca (née Harelick), was a housewife. Cole attended high school in his hometown and changed his surname during his youth due to fears of antisemitism. He initially studied at Indiana University, before transferring to the School of Dental Medicine at University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1957, he enlisted in the US Air Force and was posted to Japan for two years. Upon his return from military service, Cole was employed at a dental office in Berkeley, California, and obtained a undergraduate degree in political science from UCB. He then returned to northern Jersey and established his own family dental practice in 1961. He later undertook postgraduate studies in political science and was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy from Columbia University in 1970.[4]

Career

Trained in both the health sciences as well as public policy, Cole testified before United States congressional committees and was invited to give presentations to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Technology Assessment, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[5][6][7][8] A member of the WMD Working Group of the Aspen Institute's Homeland Security Group, Cole co-authored and edited the working group's 2012 report on WMD Terrorism.[9][10] Cole's 2021 book, Chasing the Ghost: Nobelist Fred Reines and the Neutrino, was cited by Symmetry magazine as among the year's ten notable science-related titles.[11] The book was also a 2022 Indie Book Awards finalist in the Autobiography/Biography category.[12]

Cole was national chairman of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs from 2000 to 2002.[13] He was a featured commentator in Avoiding Armageddon (2003), a PBS documentary on biological and chemical warfare.[14] His book The Anthrax Letters: A Medical Detective Story was named an Honor Book by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.[15]

Cole served on the board of directors of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine,[16] and on the advisory board of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.[17] Appointed by the Governor of New Jersey to the New Jersey-Israel Commission,[18] he chaired the Commission's committee on Homeland Security.[19] In addition, he coordinated exchanges on terror medicine and domestic security between American and Israeli academics and professionals.[20]

Cole appeared on television,[21] and was the author or editor of eleven books.[4][22] His articles appeared in several academic journals and publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Sciences, and Scientific American.[22][23] Other interviews and presentations of his were posted by the PBS NewsHour.[24]

Personal life

Cole married Ruth Gerber in 1957. They had three children and remained married until his death. They resided in Ridgewood, New Jersey, during his later years.[4]

Cole died on September 18, 2022, at a hospital in Ridgewood. He was 89 years old.[4]

Awards and accolades

Cole was awarded grants and fellowships by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.[22][23] He received the alumni merit award from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 2008.[22][25] He was a fellow of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and board member of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.[22][23] Formerly a board member of Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Alumni Association, he was featured in the GSAS publication, Superscript.[26]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ Shapira, Shmuel C.; Cole, Leonard A. (June 24, 2006). "Terror Medicine: Birth of a Discipline". Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. 3 (2). doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1247. S2CID 34034140. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2022 – via www.degruyter.com.
  2. ^ "National Threat Initiative, 2014". Archived from the original on 2016-09-13. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  3. ^ "Terror Medicine: Treating the Injured in Terrorist Attacks". www.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  4. ^ a b c d e Shanahan, Ed (October 1, 2022). "Leonard Cole, Who Detailed Secret Army Germ Tests, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Vol. 172, no. 59563. p. B10. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  5. ^ "House Homeland Security Committee". Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  6. ^ "House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications". Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  7. ^ "Rutgers University-Newark". Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  8. ^ "Leonard A. Cole". Coast to Coast AM. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  9. ^ "Aspen Institute Homeland Security Group" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  10. ^ "House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence". Archived from the original on 2016-08-19. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  11. ^ Perricone, Mike (30 November 2021). "Physics books of 2021". symmetry magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-01-16. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  12. ^ "Next Generation Indie Book Awards". Archived from the original on August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Krzeckowski, Cathy (June 10, 2002). "Applause". The Record. New Jersey. p. L4. ProQuest 425458321. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  14. ^ McFarland, Melanie (April 13, 2003). "'Armageddon' should keep us all on high alert". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  15. ^ "Council for the Humanities announces book award winners". New Jersey Hills. 13 October 2004. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  16. ^ "Board of Directors". Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  17. ^ Lentzos, Filippa, ed. (July 13, 2016). Biological Threats In The 21st Century: The Politics, People, Science And Historical Roots. World Scientific. p. xvii. ISBN 9781783269495.
  18. ^ "State of New Jersey, Department of State". Archived from the original on 2016-07-07. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  19. ^ Wiener, Robert. "U.S., Israeli firms tackle cyber-security". njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  20. ^ Suher, Dylan (October 11, 2021). "Alumni Profile: Leonard Cole". Columbia University. Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  21. ^ "Author of Chasing the Ghost – Leonard A. Cole". www.leonardcole.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
  22. ^ a b c d e "Leonard A. Cole, Bio" (PDF). U.S. House of Representatives Document Repository. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  23. ^ a b c Falk, Ophir; Morgenstern, Henry, eds. (July 15, 2009). Suicide Terror: Understanding and Confronting the Threat. John Wiley & Sons. p. xvii. ISBN 9780470447765.
  24. ^ "Science Alone Won't Close the Case on Anthrax, Committee Says". PBS NewsHour. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  25. ^ "Penn Dental Medicine". Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-07-05.
  26. ^ "Superscript: Leonard Cole". Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-07-05.

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