Camille O. Cosby is the eldest offspring of Guy and Catherine Hanks's
four children. Embued with an immense intellect and sense of social
responsibility, she has long been an advocate for education and for the
continued financial support of the United States' historically
African-American colleges and universities (HBCUs). Along with her
husband Bill Cosby, she donated $20 million in 1988 to Spelman College,
the prestigious and historically African-American women's college
located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. By 1994, they had donated over $70
million to several HBCUs.
Not one to merely rest on the laurels of her famous spouse, she earned
a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 1992. Her doctoral
dissertation was published by The University Press of America in 1994
as "Television's Imageable Influences: The Self-Perceptions of Young
African-Americans" (
ISBN 0819195219). Additonally she has continued her long
occupation as business manager for her husband, overseeing all
philanthropic and financial matters. She also serves as president of
COC Productions, a film production company, and C&J Productions, which
produces for the stage. She also produced her husband's last two
albums, which were released on Geffen Records in 1987 and 1991, and
co-directed her husband's concert film Bill Cosby: 49 (1987).
Always diligent in her commitment to youth, after hiring an Atlanta,
GA, USA-based couple named Thelma and Wesley Williams, who ran a
catering business while mentoring to several at-risk male teens, she
embarked on a mission to bring their extraordinary story to the screen.
The result was her production of the Williams's-inspired service and
activism in the documentary No Dreams Deferred (1994). Although largely out of the public
limelight, Camille O. Cosby's commitment to education and intelligent drama on
both the screen and stage has helped to entertain and enlighten
millions of viewers worldwide.
