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Charles Cockrell

Gifts to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, such as the Dr. Charles A. Cockrell Scholarship Endowment, help make it possible for the college to recruit the most talented and promising students from around the country. Established by one of Cockrell's past employees, the unrestricted scholarship is especially powerful because it can be awarded to students in any discipline within the college.

"In order for us to compete with other schools for the best students across all our disciplines, it's important we have scholarships that aren't tied to a specific department or curriculum," said Mary Lynn Saidla, scholarship coordinator for the College of Engineering. "The flexibility allows us to better meet the needs of students."

Charles Cockrell was born on January 27, 1924. Growing up during the Depression, Cockrell saw the value of hard work, and at an early age, began delivering newspapers in Birmingham, Ala. After joining the Marine Corps at 17 and serving in several major Pacific operations during World War II, Cockrell entered Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University. In 1949, he graduated with a degree in electrical engineering.

Following graduation, Cockrell took a job with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). In 1956, he began work with the Department of Defense at Redstone Arsenal, eventually becoming deputy project manager of the Patriot Project office. For 20 years, Cockrell guided the development of the Patriot Missile Defense System. He retired in 1980, ending a successful career that spanned 36 years. After retirement, he established his own management consulting firm, serving the defense industry.

Before his death in 2001, Cockrell was an active participant in community affairs, exhibiting lifetime commitment to education. In addition to teaching graduate courses, he served as a career counselor to assist others with their professional growth. The scholarship bearing his name was designed to memorialize the legacy he left for future engineering graduates.

The scholarship endowment was created by Sarah Edwards through a charitable remainder trust, a donation which provides an income for the life of the donor or a designated beneficiary. At the end of the trust, the principal is distributed to the Auburn University Foundation, the office through which planned gifts are received and dispersed throughout the university. A charitable remainder trust is an ideal planned gift for those who wish to give to the college while still receiving an income from the cash, securities or property donated.

According to those who knew him, Cockrell exhibited a fond appreciation for the world around him, and his goal was to leave things better than he found them. This contribution to the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering makes it possible for engineering students to take the knowledge they gain in the classroom and use it to demonstrate the same qualities for which he is remembered.

"When you donate to the education of a student, you see that gift multiply a hundred fold," Saidla said. "I hope all of our grads can see the importance of what Auburn has done for them and can open that door for another generation of students."