Paul Cox

Paul Cox


Dr. Paul Cox was a music teacher and school administrator in the Billerica Public Schools for 33 years, until his retirement in 2002. He was on the music faculty of Billerica Memorial High School by 1971, and the 1972 Warrior yearbook pictures him at the piano beside the band director. He led the high school's choral department and its spring musicals: in April 1978 the department presented Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" under his direction. By 1984 he had earned his doctorate, and that year's yearbook shows "Dr. Paul Cox" with the Chorus and the Vocal Ensemble.

When the music teacher Elizabeth Johnson retired in 1985, Superintendent Dr. Robert J. Calabrese told the annual town meeting that "Paul Cox is now the Musical Coordinator for the School Department." Near the end of his career he moved into the central office, serving in 2001 as interim assistant superintendent for curriculum. The 2002 yearbook wrote that he "kindly postponed his retirement to serve as Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Central Administration to help the system out with his considerable curriculum expertise," and that "the BMHS choral department and the Friends of Music grew and thrived on his watch," with many of his former students going on to perform professionally. He still played for the town on occasion: at the opening of the fall town meeting of October 2, 2001 he accompanied the high school's Special Vocal Ensemble in patriotic songs. The School Committee listed him among the retirements of 2001-02, with 33 years of service.

In the fall of 2017 the newly restored auditorium of the Marshall Middle School was dedicated to him on the opening night of the school's production of "The Lion King Jr." The school department called him "a beloved music educator and administrator in the Billerica Public School system, who was instrumental in building the foundation for our current success." The stage is known as the Paul Cox Theater, in the Howard Ralston Auditorium, and the hall is often called the Paul Cox Auditorium.



References

  1. Warrior 1972, p. 27: music faculty portraits, Paul Cox at the piano
  2. Warrior 1978: the Choral department's spring musical, The Music Man, under the direction of Paul Cox
  3. Warrior 1984: Chorus and Vocal Ensemble photographs with Dr. Paul Cox
  4. Billerica Town Report 1985, annual town meeting: Paul Cox named Musical Coordinator for the School Department
  5. Billerica Town Report 2001, school department directory: Dr. Paul Cox, Assistant Interim Superintendent, Curriculum
  6. Billerica Town Report 2002, fall town meeting of October 2, 2001: Special Vocal Ensemble accompanied by Dr. Paul Cox
  7. Billerica Town Report 2002, School Committee: retirements 2001-02, Dr. Paul Cox, 33 years
  8. Warrior 2002, p. 94: retirement tribute to Paul Cox
  9. Billerica Town Report 2017, school department: Marshall Middle School auditorium dedicated to Dr. Paul Cox