Edward F. Cox
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Edward Ridley Finch Cox (born October 2, 1946) is an American attorney, politician and is the chairman of the
New York Republican State Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York (state), New York State affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, New York, Albany ...
and also held that position from 2009 to 2019. He is married to
Tricia Nixon Cox Patricia Nixon Cox (born February 21, 1946) is the elder daughter of the 37th United States president Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, and the sister of Julie Nixon Eisenhower. She is married to Edward F. Cox and is the mother of Christ ...
, daughter of
President Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 36th vice president under P ...
and
Pat Nixon Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon (; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon. She also served as the Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States, second lady ...
.


Early life and family

Cox was born to Howard Ellis Cox and Anne Crane Delafield (Finch) Cox in
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Stony Brook Southampton Hospital, centrally located in the Village of Southampton, New York, is a 125-bed hospital accredited by the Joint Commission. A location of Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is a New York State-desig ...
in
Southampton, New York Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...
. He attended Westhampton Beach Elementary School and
Allen-Stevenson School The Allen-Stevenson School is a private boys school for kindergarten through 8th grade in New York City. It opened in 1883 and has been as its present location since 1924. History The Allen School was founded in 1883 by Francis Bellows Allen ...
in New York City. Cox is named for his grandfather, Judge Edward R. Finch, a prominent New York jurist who served as a Justice of the
New York State Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...
(1915–1943), Presiding Justice of the
New York Supreme Court Appellate Division The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York is the intermediate appellate court in New York State. The state is geographically divided into four judicial departments of the Appellate Division. The full title of each is, u ...
, First Department, and Associate Judge on the
New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the supreme court, highest court in the Judiciary of New York (state), Unified Court System of the New York (state), State of New York. It consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeal ...
. His father, Howard Ellis Cox, was a decorated
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...
, New York lawyer, and
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
real estate developer. Cox graduated from the
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (''abbrev.'' SPIA; formerly the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs) is a professional public policy school at Princeton University. The school provides an array of c ...
(1968) Originally appeared in print under the title, "PUBLIC LIVES; Steady Eddie Cox, the Discreet Son-in-Law," p. B2. and
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...
(1972). Cox was battalion commander of his Army
ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...
unit at Princeton where he put together and accredited a seminar on war, he completed officer and airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia and subsequently served as a reserve officer with the 11th Special Forces Group.


Marriage

In 1971, Cox married Tricia Nixon, the daughter of President Richard Nixon, in a
White House Rose Garden The White House Rose Garden is a garden bordering the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., United States. The garden is approximately 125 feet long and 60 feet wide ( by , or about 684m2). It balances the Jacqueli ...
ceremony. The wedding was described in ''
Life Magazine ''Life'' (stylized as ''LIFE'') is an American magazine launched in 1883 as a weekly publication. In 1972, it transitioned to publishing "special" issues before running as a monthly from 1978 to 2000. Since then, ''Life'' has irregularly publi ...
'' as "a union 'akin to American royalty'". Edward and Tricia Cox have a son,
Christopher Nixon Cox Christopher Nixon Cox (born March 14, 1979) is an American lawyer based in New York. He is the son of Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward F. Cox, and grandson of President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon. Cox is the CEO of Lightswitch Capital, ...
. The Coxes reside on
Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
.


Private sector

Cox started his legal career at Cravath Swaine & Moore, and after serving as a general counsel in the Reagan Administration, was a corporate partner in the Donovan Leisure firm and subsequently a member of the management committee and the chairman of the corporate department at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. His law practice has covered a wide variety of transactions and representations including securities litigations, project financings, M&A, startups, IPOs, municipal financings, securitizations, private placements and bankruptcies. He is a member of a Bank of America advisory committee. Cox served as a director for 35 years of Noble Energy which is an upstream independent oil and natural gas company. To attempt to stay in shape, Cox participates in an Olympic-distance triathlon each year, and he swims, bikes and runs whenever possible in preparation. He ran and finished the
New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 fini ...
in 2017.


Government service

From 1981 to 1983 Cox served in the
Reagan Administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following his landslide victory over ...
as the Senior Vice President and General Counsel of a government corporation, The United States Synthetic Fuels Corporation. He has served Presidents
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
and
George H.W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
in the international arena. He has visited with numerous officials, including heads of state or government, in more than 30 countries including China, Russia, Israel, Cuba, England, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. He was commissioner of the Commission on Judicial Nomination (nominating candidates for New York's highest court, 1991 to 2009) and Chairman of the New York Council of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (1995 to 2008). He was a Trustee of the
State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY ) is a system of Public education, public colleges and universities in the New York (state), State of New York. It is one of the List of largest universities and university networks by enrollment, larges ...
(SUNY) from 1995 to 2009. From 1999 to 2009 as Co-Chairman and Chairman of SUNY's Charter School Committee, Cox founded SUNY's Charter School Institute and led the authorization of fifty charter schools. In 2006, Cox served as the chairman of newly elected Attorney General
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...
's environmental and
energy transition An energy transition (or energy system transformation) is a major structural change to energy supply and consumption in an energy system. Currently, a transition to sustainable energy is underway to limit climate change. Most of the sustainab ...
team.


Philanthropic involvement

In K-12 education, Cox has served as a director of Student Sponsor Partnership, which supports and mentors parochial high school students, since its founding in 1985. He is also a director of the New York Institute for Special Education, which has been a leading school for the blind since 1831. Cox has served for more than 15 years as Chairman of the New York
League of Conservation Voters The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is an American environmental advocacy group. LCV says that it "builds political power for people and the planet." Through its affiliated super PAC, it is a major supporter of the Democratic Party. The org ...
Education Fund. He has led an American delegation to, and presented at, Ditchley conferences, and is a director of Ditchley's American Advisory Board.


Publications

His work has appeared in ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'', ''
The New Republic ''The New Republic'' (often abbreviated as ''TNR'') is an American magazine focused on domestic politics, news, culture, and the arts from a left-wing perspective. It publishes ten print magazines a year and a daily online platform. ''The New Y ...
'', the ''
Antitrust Law Journal The ''Antitrust Law Journal'' is a triannual peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section. The executive editor Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior ...
'' and the ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'', and in 1968 and 1969 he researched and co-authored The Nader Report on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which spawned "
Nader's Raiders Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American lawyer and political activist involved in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes. He is a perennial presidential candidate. His 1965 book ''Unsafe at Any Speed' ...
" and the rejuvenation of the FTC as a consumer advocate.


Political involvement

Cox has assisted Republican candidates in New York at all levels in numerous election cycles. In the 1994 state election, Cox played a key role in electing George Pataki Governor and Dennis Vacco Attorney General. Cox was rumored to be considering a run for
Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ...
in 2006 if then-Gov.
George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...
opted not to seek re-election. Pataki did not run again, but Cox later chose instead to seek the seat held by incumbent U.S. Senator
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
( D) in the 2006 New York U.S. Senate election. However, after Pataki endorsed a rival Republican--
Westchester County Westchester County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The county is the seventh most populous cou ...
District Attorney
Jeanine Pirro Jeanine Ferris Pirro (born June 2, 1951) is an American television host and author who currently serves as the interim United States attorney for the District of Columbia since May 2025. Pirro is a former judge, prosecutor, and politician in t ...
—for Senate, Cox announced on October 14, 2005, that he was no longer running. In 2007 and 2008, Cox chaired
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
's presidential campaign efforts in the State of New York.


New York Republican Party Chairman (2009–2019)

Cox was elected chairman of the
New York State Republican Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York State affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City.
at the committee's meeting on September 30, 2009. Cox had a seven-point "agenda for the future" when elected chairman: # to be "a full-time chairman"; # to win election victories in the 2009 local elections; # to re-build the state party's staff; # to "re-establish credibility" of the state party nationally; # to raise money; # to recruit a "slate of candidates up and down the ballot"; and # to win statewide elections in 2010. Cox announced on May 20, 2019, that he was joining President Donald Trump's re-election campaign and that he would not run for re-election as Chairman of the
New York Republican State Committee The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York (state), New York State affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, New York, Albany ...
stating, "Serving as Chairman of the NYGOP over the last ten years has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my life, and I will continue to actively help elect more Republicans here in New York'". On July 1, 2019,
Nick Langworthy Nicholas Andrew Langworthy (born February 27, 1981) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 23rd district since 2023. He was formerly the chair of the New York State Republican Committee. Langworthy was named ...
, the Erie County Chairman succeeded Ed Cox as Chairman the New York State Republican Committee.


References


External links

*
Biography from Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLPEd Cox on The George Jarkesy Show 1.10.12
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Edward F. 1946 births 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers Candidates in the 2006 United States elections Harvard Law School alumni Living people New York (state) lawyers New York (state) Republicans Nixon family Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler people People from Southampton (town), New York Princeton School of Public and International Affairs alumni Schuyler family State political party chairs of New York (state)