A Guide to the Alonzo B. Cox Papers

Biographical Note

Professor Alonzo B. Cox was born on April 2, 1884, in Hamilton County, Illinois. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from The University of Texas at Austin in 1911 and 1914, respectively. He was awarded a PhD from the University of Wisconsin in 1920.

He served as president of Abilene Christian University in 1911-12. He worked with Texas A&M University, where he was in charge of the Division of Farm and Ranch Economics. He worked with the United States Department of Agriculture, directing cotton marketing research. In 1924-25 he served in Europe as an agricultural economist for the department.

Professor Cox joined the faculty of UT Austin in 1926, and retired in 1957. In 1927 he established the Bureau of Business Research, serving as its director until 1942. In 1947 he created the Natural Fibers Information Center. The center became internationally acclaimed under his leadership for a worldwide program that standardized scientific cotton testing.

In 1927 Professor Cox organized and chaired the Texas Cotton Committee, a policy-making group. In 1939 he worked with the Texas Cotton Research Congress. In 1942 he assisted the Texas Statewide Cotton Committee in preparing the "Charter for Cotton," which established economic principles governing the cotton industry.

Professor Cox served on the State Intercollegiate Schools of Business Administration Committee. He also served on the Texas Postwar Planning Commission and as a consultant on cotton price fixing for the U.S. government.

Professor Cox authored or coauthored An Economic Study of a Typical Ranching Area on the Edwards Plateau of Texas (1922), The Cottonseed Crushing Industry of Texas in its National Setting (1949), and Cotton-Demand-Supply-Merchandising (1952).

[compiled by Theresa Palomo Acosta]

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Scope and Contents

Papers comprise the professional work of Dr. Alonzo B. Cox and the UT Natural Fibers Information Center. Included are chronological correspondence files, alphabetical subject and textile organization files, cotton research files, cotton marketing material, cotton financial data, and biographical files for Dr. Cox. Also includes a large component of cotton, fiber, and textile industry publications, reports, and journals.

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Restrictions

Restriction

Collection stored off-site at Collections Deposit Library. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Alonzo B. Cox Papers, Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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