Dr. Babalola O. Cole

During his childhood years, he was an avid soccer player and athlete. This childhood passion carried on throughout his life as he was extremely conscious of his health eating only a very healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, and various concoctions of ginger and various greens. He was extremely fastidious about his annual winter regimen of Vitamin C and cod liver oil to build his immune system up for the winter months. Healthy living was a hallmark of his existence as he even continued calisthenics well into his early 90s.

He emigrated to the United States in the early 1950s initially to attend medical school, but later found his passion in teaching political science. Thus, he graduated from Howard University with a double Master's in History and Government in 1954. His Government thesis is entitled The Problem of Coordination Between the Geographic Bureaus and the Functional Bureaus in the U.S. Department of State; his History thesis is entitled An Analysis of the West African Pilot from November 22,1937 to December 31,1941.

Upon graduating from Howard, he joined the Political Science department in 1959. His course specialties included the American Presidency, American Foreign Policy, and the American Legislative Process. As a passionate and diligent professor, he kept late hours, often grading papers until the wee hours of the morning (3 or 4am). He was thorough and meticulous in preparing his lectures as he had a keen ability to lecture without his notes: the material was entrenched in his mind and heart. His commitment to teaching led him to Georgetown University where he obtained his PhD 1967, a particularly turbulent time in the civil rights era when few Africans and/or African Americans were admitted - he defied the odds. This was a common thread that spanned his entire lifetime OR was evident throughout his entire life.

During his spare time, he loved to travel around the country conducting political analysis research. His sharp and curious mind took him to the corrals of presidential libraries across the country to conduct research on the American Presidency. One of his favorites was the Lyndon B. Johnson Library at The University of Texas at Austin. His extensive research culminated in a manuscript for a book that he planned to publish on the American Presidency; however, his manuscript and related research were destroyed in a tragic office fire in the 1980s. While he suffered a great loss, it only fueled his passion to educate the minds and stoke the hearts of African American students. His commitment was so steadfast that while he had the opportunity to go to more prestigious institutions like his alma mater Georgetown, he chose to stay at Howard believing he had a significant contribution to make. This contribution made him a fierce, but fair professor who demanded the very best of students to prepare them for the demands of the real world; he was a tough grader who had a knack for identifying plagiarism and other academic shortcuts. He pushed his students to rise above mediocrity out of love, caring, and commitment to excellence. He maintained this unyielding commitment to Howard for over 54 years.

Personally, Dr. Cole was a gentleman’s gentleman who was generally quiet and reserved by nature, but extremely thoughtful and generous. For example, he had a ritual of sending lovely flower arrangements to family and friends on holidays and special occasions. In addition, he mentored numerous students providing guidance, advice, and even financial support in some cases.

One of his many attributes was being on time as he was extremely punctual often arriving 30 minutes to an hour before scheduled affairs and appointments. While short in physical stature, he stood tall in character, integrity and grace. He was classy, dignified, and extremely patient even under the most challenging of circumstances whether it was encountering an inpatient driver, a long grocery line, or an inpatient student. He was the epitome of grace such that he always went out of his way to express gratitude and appreciation even until his dying day. His unique graciousness was most evident in his latter years when he became ill as he thanked each of his caretakers profusely for taking good care of him. This quality alone left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who interacted with him. As a result of these attributes, he was in a class all by himself as the frequency and consistency with which he demonstrated these qualities was unparalleled. In sum, he leaves a remarkable legacy which will last for generations to come.

Dr. Cole will be sorely missed by his entire family, a host of friends and colleagues. Thank you for sharing this day with us and for being a special part of his life.

A visitation for Babalola will be held Monday, March 4, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM followed by celebration of life from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM, at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home (11800 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904.) Committal and burial will occur at 2:30 PM at Parklawn Memorial Park, (12800 Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, Maryland 20853.)