James Otis Cole has spent the better part of his professional career as a “businessman” in many C-suite positions within organizations across America. He was an entrepreneur in the food service industry and a corporate attorney for Fortune 100 companies. He was born on February 6, 1941, in Florence, Alabama, and was raised by his father, Calloway Cole, and his mother, Eula Cole. 

Cole attended Talladega College and earned a B.A. in 1962. He went on to graduate from Harvard University law school with a J.D. in 1971. Cole has been affiliated with industry leaders such as AutoNation, Inc., the Clorox Company, and served for ten years, providing counsel through the Ruden McClosky law firm. He was the CEO and chairman of Cole Holdings, Inc., a real estate development and holding corporation. He has served as president of the National Bar Association, president of the California Association of Black Lawyers, and president of the Charles Houston Bar Association.

Throughout his career, he has been recognized as a trailblazer and for contributions across a range of leadership roles. He served as a board member of the Joe DiMaggio and Memorial Hospital Foundation and a board member of the African American Experience Fund, which is an affiliate of the National Parks Foundation. He has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus and served as a member of the board of trustees of Talladega College and a board member of the Greater Miami Gardens Chamber of Commerce. His memberships include the Executive Leadership Council, NAACP, Legal Defense Fund, Urban League, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, National Association of Guardsmen, and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. In 2014, he was elected Grand Sire Archon of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. 

Further, Cole has been recognized with numerous awards and other honors, including the National Bar Association’s highest honor, the C. Francis Stradford Award, and induction into the NBA Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Ada Cole, have been married for over 60 years and have one son.

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