J. P. (James Perry) Cole

Born in 1889, James Perry Cole is best remembered in the book world for Military Instructors Manual, a 1917 training guide he wrote with Oliver Schoonmaker. Library of Congress and Project Gutenberg both identify him as the author of that work, and the book reflects his experience as a U.S. Army officer during the World War I era.

Beyond his writing, Cole spent much of his life at Louisiana State University. LSU records describe him as a professor of mathematics who also served in major student-life leadership roles, including dean of students and director of student life. An LSU oral history abstract similarly summarizes a long career that combined teaching, administration, and service to students.

Cole's influence reached well outside the classroom. LSU has also remembered him as a former head coach of men's golf, and later tributes credit him with helping shape the early program in Baton Rouge. He died in 1977, leaving behind the picture of a disciplined, service-minded educator whose career joined military training, scholarship, and campus leadership.