Harold E. Cox

Transportation historian (1931–2021)

Harold Eugene Cox (1931 – 2021) was Professor of History Emeritus and University Archivist at Wilkes University, Pennsylvania^[1] serving over 52 years.^[2] as department chair of the University Department of History.^[3] In 2015, the university renamed one its buildings as Dr. Harold Cox Hall.^[4] Cox specialized in the history of 19th and 20th century urban transportation and historical transportation maps.^[3] In 1976, he was an editor for the Pennsylvania Historical Association's journal, "Pennsylvania History".^[5]

In 1996, Cox inquired about 19th century election statistics for Pennsylvania, only to find that the data would cost $1,000 to produce.^[6] He then organized and created the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project as a free online resource documenting Pennsylvania political election results dating back to 1796.^[7] The project has been cataloged by the Pennsylvania State University Libraries^[8] and the Van Pelt Library at the University of Pennsylvania.^[9] It has been cited as a source in academic books about the Supreme Court of the United States,^[10] Communist politicians in Pennsylvania,^[11] and a survey of state-level political parties.^[12]

Cox served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1984, retiring as a command sergeant major.^[2]

Cox died in 2021 and was eulogized as a "true renaissance man" with passions and interests ranging from politics to creative writing, trolleys, and LGBTQ rights.^[2] He was interred at Spring Hill Cemetery, Lynchburg, Va.^[2]

Bibliography and collections

Journals

• Cox, Harold E. "Jim Crow in the City of Brotherly Love; The Segregation of Philadelphia Horse Cars." Negro History Bulletin 26.3 (1962): 119–123.
• Cox, Harold E. "daily Except Sunday:" Blue Laws and the Operation of Philadelphia Horsecars." The Business History Review. 39.2 (1965): 228-242. Print.
• Cox, Harold E., and John F. Meyers. "The Philadelphia Traction Monopoly and the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1874: The Prostitution of an Ideal." Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies 35.4 (1968): 406–423.
• Cox, Harold E. "The Wilkes-Barre Street Railway Strike of 1915." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 94.1 (1970): 75–94. Print.

Books and published materials

• Cox, Harold E. PCC Cars of North America. Philadelphia: J.W. Boorse Jr., 1963. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. The Tram Subways of Philadelphia: A History and a Forward Look. Light Railway Transport League, London: W.J. Fowler & Sons, Ltd. 1964. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. Surface Cars of Philadelphia, 1911-1965. Forty Fort, Pa., 1965. Internet resource.
• Cox, Harold E. The Birney Car. Forty Fort, Pa., 1966. Internet resource.
• Charlton, Elbridge H, and Harold E. Cox. Electric Railway Car Trucks. Forty Fort, Pa: H.E. Cox, 1967. Print.
• Cox, Harold E, and Jack May. The Road from Upper Darby: The Story of the Market Street Subway-Elevated. Forty Fort, PA (80 Virginia Terr., Forty Fort 18704: H.E. Cox, 1967.
• Foesig, Harry, and Harold E. Cox. Trolleys of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Forty Fort, Pa.: Harold E. Cox, 1968. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. Early Electric Cars of Philadelphia, 1885-1911. Forty Fort - Pa, 1969. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. The Fairmount Park Trolley: A Unique Philadelphia Experiment. Forty Fort, Pa, 1970.
• Cox, Harold E. Utility Cars of Philadelphia, 1892-1971. Forty Fort, Pa, 1972. Print.
• Bowman, Stanley F, and Harold E. Cox. Trolleys of Chester County, Pennsylvania. , 1975. Print.
• Hudson, Alvin W, and Harold E. Cox. Street Railways of Birmingham. Birmingham, Ala: Printed and sold by Alvin W. Hudson, 1976. Print.
• Schieck, Paul J, and Harold E. Cox. West Branch Trolleys: Street Railways of Lycoming & Clinton Counties. Forty Fort, Pa: H.E. Cox, 1978. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. Early Electric Cars of Baltimore. Forty Fort, Pa: The Author, 1979.
• Cox, Harold E. Philadelphia Car Routes: Horse, Cable, Electric. Forty Fort (Pa.: H.E. Cox, 1982. Print.
• Sachs, Bernard J, George F. Nixon, and Harold E. Cox. Baltimore Streetcars, 1905-1963: The Semi-Convertible Era. Baltimore: Baltimore Streetcar Museum, 1984. Print.
• Foesig, Harry, Barker Gummere, and Harold E. Cox. Trolleys of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Forty Fort, PA: Harold E. Cox, 1985. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. Wyoming Valley Trolleys: Street Railways of Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke and Pittston, Pennsylvania. Forty Fort, PA: H.E. Cox, 1988. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. Diamond State Trolleys: Electric Railways of Delaware. Forty Fort, PA: H.E. Cox, 1991. Print.
• Cox, Harold E, and Jack May. The Road from Upper Darby: The Story of the Market Street Subway-Elevated. Forty Fort, PA (80 Virginia Terr., Forty Fort 18704: H.E. Cox, 2000.
• Bailey, David C, Joseph M. Canfield, and Harold E. Cox. Trolleys in the Land of the Sky: Street Railways of Asheville, N.c. and Vicinity. Forty Fort, Pa: Harold E. Cox, 2000. Print.
• Cox, Harold E. The Barber Car: Electric Traction's Ugly Duckling. Forty Fort, PA (80 Virginia Terrace, Forty Fort 18704: Printed and sold by H.E. Cox, 2002. Print.
• Cox, Harold E, Mary M. Adams, and Nancy Marion. Hill City Trolleys: Street Railways of Lynchburg, Va. Lynchburg, Va: Blackwell Press, 2018. Print.

Reports

• Cox, Harold E. Pennsylvania Election Statistics, 1789–2000. Wilkes-Barre, Pa.: Wilkes University, 1996.

Collections

• Harold E. Cox transportation collection (Collection 3158), The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.^[13]

Notes and references

1. Anon. "Harold E. Cox transportation collection, Collection". Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
2. Cox, Harold E (September 16, 2021). "A true Renaissance man, passions ranged from politics and creative writing to trolleys and LGBTQ rights". Times Leader media group. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
3. Anon. "Harold E. Cox". MacMillan publishers. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
4. Anon. (June 24, 2015). "Wilkes University building named after professor emeritus Harold Cox". Times Leader media group. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
5. Anon. "Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies". Pennsylvania Historical Association-Officers since 1933. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
6. "Pennsylvania Election Statistics". staffweb.wilkes.edu. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
7. Jones, Mark E. (July 26, 2004). "Free election history database a feast for party animals". Times Leader. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: The Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16.
8. "Pennsylvania Statistics & Data". Penn State Research Guides - Politics & Elections. Pennsylvania State University Libraries. 2009-02-24.
9. "U.S.Elections: Historical and Contemporary - Research Guide". Penn Research Guides - Election Statistics. Van Pelt Library at University of Pennsylvania. 2008-04-23.
10. Marcus, Maeva; James R. Perry (2007). "Irvine v. Sims's Lessee". The Documentary History of the Supreme Court of the United States, 1789-1800: Cases, 1798-1800 (8th ed.). Columbia University Press. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-231-13976-2.
11. Howard, Walter T. (January 28, 2005). Forgotten Radicals: Communists in the Pennsylvania Anthracite, 1919-1950. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-7618-3090-0.
12. Dubin, Michael J. (July 18, 2007). Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures: A Year by Year Summary, 1796-2006. McFarland & Company. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-7864-2914-1.
13. "Harold E. Cox transportation collection, 1803-1967 3158". www2.hsp.org.

External links

• Hagley Museum and Library: John F. Tucker Transit Collection, Accession 2046.