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, Mississippi 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 masters degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He was ordained into Baptist Ministry at Richton, Ms. Baptist Church in 1939.^[1]

Service

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^[1]

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.^[2]