Daniel Cottom

Daniel Allen Cottom was born on June 5, 1953 in Texas where he developed his lifelong preference for warm weather and snowless winters. His parents, Donald Owen and Zoya Teresa (Zingale) Cottom, didn’t take this preference into account as they moved him and his siblings about the Midwest and Northeast states, ending their tour in Wisconsin where Dan entered high school.

Being the overachiever in the family, Dan left high school after his junior year and began his undergraduate education at Deep Springs College in Colorado. He completed his studies at the University of Buffalo in New York with a PhD. His career in academia focused on literary and cultural theory, cultural studies, and 19th century English literature. He published, as befits any Professor, but his real work was in the classroom where he emphasized initiative and participation, even at the cost of his own (as he said “always precarious”) peace of mind.

Dan held positions with various colleges and universities, ending his career at University of Oklahoma in Norman where he held an endowed chair. He retired in 2017 and happily pursued his nearly obsessive interest in multiple musical genres, painting, and reading all the books he didn’t have time to read while he was working. He was an exceptional cook and baker, balancing his consumption with running and other strenuous forms of exercise.

Dan is survived by his much-loved wife, Deborah Brackenbury, his sister Kristine, brothers George, Michael, Jonathan, and his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by both his parents and his youngest brother, James. His legacy is the students helped to achieve their goals and the people he cared for and loved throughout his life. Dan passed away on June 27, 2021 and his loss will be deeply felt.