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{{Infobox Comedian
| name = Bill Cosby
| image = BillCosby.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Cosby speaks at Frederick Douglass High School, October 2006
| pseudonym =
| birth_name = William Henry Cosby, Jr.
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1937|7|12}}
| birth_place = {{city-state|Philadelphia|Pennsylvania}},<br>United States
| occupation = Actor, comedian, author, producer, musician, activist
| active = 1962—present
| spouse = Camille Hanks (1964–present) 5 children
| website = http://www.billcosby.com/
}}

'''William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.''' (born July 12, 1937) is an American ], actor, ], ], ] and ]. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show '']''. He later starred in his own series, '']'', in 1969. He was one of the major characters on the children's television show '']'' for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series '']'', about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films. Cosby's net worth is estimated at over $300 million.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}

During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered one of the decade's defining sitcoms, '']'', which lasted eight seasons from 1984 to 1992, and is still seen in syndication. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper middle-class African-American family. He also produced the hit sitcom '']'', which became second to ''The Cosby Show'' in ratings. In the 1990s, Cosby starred in '']'', which aired from 1996 to 2000, and during the show's last two seasons, hosted '']'', and appeared in a number of movies. He has also appeared on the stand-up circuit.

His good-natured, fatherly image has made him a popular personality and garnered him the nickname of "America's Dad". He has also been a sought-after spokesman and over the years has endorsed numerous products including ] ], ] ], ], ] and ] (as well as ]). In ], scholar ] listed Bill Cosby on his list of ].<ref>Asante, Molefi Kete (2002). 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Amherst, New York. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-57392-963-8. </ref>

He earned an ] degree from the ] in 1976. For his doctoral research, he wrote a ] entitled "An Integration of the Visual Media Via 'Fat Albert And The Cosby Kids' Into the Elementary School Curriculum as a Teaching Aid and Vehicle to Achieve Increased Learning".<ref>Copies of his dissertation are available from ] as document number .</ref>

==Early life==
Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia, ]. He is one of four sons born to Anna Pearl (née Hite), a maid, and William Henry Cosby, Sr., a cook for the U.S. Navy.<ref></ref><ref></ref> During much of his early childhood, Cosby's father was away in the ] and spent several years fighting in ]. As a student, he described himself as a ]. Cosby was the captain of the baseball and ] teams at Mary Channing Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia, as well as the class president.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/bill-cosby/person/4026/trivia.html |title=Bill Cosby Trivia |accessdate=2008-05-04 |work=TV.com }}</ref> Early on, though, teachers noted his propensity for clowning around rather than studying.<ref>{{cite news | title=Bill Cosby and Me - Behind the Lens | date=2007-09-11 | url =http://blog.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-lens/2006/12/bill_cosby_and_me.html | accessdate = 2008-05-04 | language = }}</ref> At Fitz Simmons Junior High, Cosby began acting in plays as well as continuing his devotion to playing sports.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news | title=Bill Cosby Biography | publisher=Buzzle.com | url =http://www.buzzle.com/articles/bill-cosby-biography.html | accessdate = 2008-05-04 | language = }}</ref> He went on to ], an academically challenging magnet school, but his full schedule of playing football, basketball, baseball, and running track made it hard for him.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> In addition, Cosby was working before and after school, selling produce, shining shoes, and stocking shelves at a supermarket to help out the family.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> He transferred to ], but failed the tenth grade.<ref name="William Morris Agency">, retrieved May 31, 2006</ref> Instead of repeating, he got a job as an apprentice at a shoe repair shop, which he liked, but could not see himself doing the rest of his life.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Subsequently, he joined the Navy, serving at the ], ], ], ] and at the ] in ].<ref name="Military.com">
{{cite web|accessdate=2007-05-31
|url=http://www.military.com/Careers/Content1?file=trans_bill_cosby.htm&area=Content
|title=Transition Profile &mdash; Bill Cosby
|work=Veterans Careers
|publisher=Military.com}}</ref>

While serving in the Navy as a ] for four years, Cosby worked in physical therapy with some seriously injured Korean War casualties,<ref name="Military.com"/> which helped him discover what was important to him. Then he immediately realized the need for an education, and finished his equivalency diploma via correspondence courses.<ref name="Kennedy Center">, retrieved May 31, 2006</ref> He then won a track and field scholarship to ]'s ] in 1961-62,<ref name="ESPER">, retrieved May 31, 2006</ref> and studied physical education while running track and playing fullback on the ] team. Cosby also joined the school's chapter of the ] fraternity.

Cosby loved humor and he called himself the class clown. Even as he progressed through his undergraduate studies, Cosby had continued to hone his talent for humor, joking with fellow enlistees in the service and then with college friends. When he began bar tending at the Cellar, a club in ], to earn money, he became fully aware of his ability to make people laugh. He worked his customers and saw his tips increase, then ventured on to the stage.<ref name="Verve Records">, retrieved May 31, 2006</ref>

Cosby left Temple to pursue a career in comedy, though he would return to collegiate studies in the 1970s. He lined up gigs at clubs in Philadelphia and soon was off to ], where he appeared at the Gaslight Cafe starting in 1962.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> He lined up dates in ], ], ], and ], among others. He received national exposure on ]'s '']'' in the summer of 1963 and released '']'', the first of a series of popular comedy albums in 1964.

While many comics were using the growing freedom of that decade to explore controversial, sometimes risqué material, Cosby was making his reputation with humorous recollections of his childhood. Many Americans wondered about the absence of race as a topic in Cosby's stories. As Cosby's success grew he had to defend his choice of material regularly; as he argued, "A white person listens to my act and he laughs and he thinks, 'Yeah, that's the way I see it too.' Okay. He's white. I'm Negro. And we both see things the same way. That must mean that ''we are alike. Right?'' So I figure this way I'm doing as much for good race relations as the next guy."<ref>{{cite book | last = Smith | first = Ronald L. | title = Cosby: The Life of a Comedy Legend | publisher = ] | date = 1997 | pages = 57 | isbn = 1-57392-126-1}}</ref>

==''I Spy''==
In 1965, Cosby achieved a first for African-Americans when he co-starred with ] in '']'', an adventure show in the espionage genre inspired by the James Bond films. Cosby's presence as the first black star of a dramatic television series made ''I Spy'' unique. At first, Cosby and NBC executives were concerned that some affiliates might be unwilling to carry the series. At the beginning of the 1965 season, however, only four stations—in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama—declined the show. But the rest of the country was taken with the show's exotic locales and the authentic chemistry of the stars, and it became one of the ratings hits of that television season. ''I Spy'' finished among the twenty most-watched shows that year, and Cosby was honored with three consecutive ]s for ]. Although ostensibly focused on Culp's character, the show had clearly become a vehicle for his co-star.

Yet throughout the series' three-year run Cosby was repeatedly confronted with the question of race. For him it was enough that ''I Spy'' portrayed two men who worked as equals despite their different races; but critics took the show to task for not having a black character engage the racial issues that inflamed the country at that time. Cosby was relieved when the series ended, enabling him to concentrate on his family and to return to live performing.

During the run of the series, Cosby continued to do stand-up comedy performances and released a half-dozen record albums. He also began to dabble in singing, recording '']'' in 1967, which provided him with a hit single with his recording of "Li'l Ole Man". He would record several more musical albums into the early 1970s, but his recordings continued to be primarily of his stand-up comedy work.

==''Fat Albert'', ''The Bill Cosby Show'', and the 1970s==
He still pursued a variety of television projects: as a regular guest host on '']'' and the star of an annual special for ]. He returned with another series in 1969, '']'', a situation comedy that ran for two seasons. Cosby played a physical education teacher at a ] high school (he had actually majored in physical education at Temple University); while only a modest critical success, the show was a ratings hit, finishing eleventh in its first season.

After ''The Bill Cosby Show'' left the air, Cosby returned to his education. He began graduate work at the ], qualifying under a special program that allowed for the admission of students who had not completed their bachelor's degrees, but who had had a significant impact on society and/or their communities through their careers. This professional interest led to his involvement in the ] series '']'', for which he recorded several segments teaching reading skills to young children.

In 1972, Cosby received an ] from the University of Massachusetts and was also back in prime time with a variety series, '']''. However, this time he met with poor ratings, and the show lasted only a season. More successful was a Saturday morning show, '']'', hosted by Cosby and based on his own childhood, running from 1972 to 1979, then from 1979 to 1984 as ''The New Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids''. Some schools used the program as a teaching tool, and Cosby himself wrote his dissertation on it in order to obtain his doctorate, also from the University of Massachusetts, in Education in 1976.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref>His Ed.D is mistakenly thought by many to be honorary. The degree was earned, and the real dissertation can easily be found in the UMI ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts as pub. no. AAT 7706369</ref> Subsequently, Temple University, where Cosby had begun but never finished his undergraduate studies, would grant him his ] on the basis of "life experience".

Also during the 1970s, Cosby and other African American actors, including ], joined forces to make some successful comedy films that countered the violent "]" films of the era. '']'' (1974) and '']'' (1975) were generally praised, but much of Cosby's film work has fallen flat. '']'' (1976) costarring ] and ]; '']'', with Poitier; and '']'', a compilation of four ] plays, were all panned. In addition, '']'' (1976) an hour-long variety show featuring puppets, sketches, and musical numbers, was canceled within the year. Cosby was also a regular on children's public television programs starting in the 70's, hosting the "]" segments that lasted into the early 80s.

==''The Cosby Show'' and the 1980s ==
Cosby's greatest television success came in September, 1984 with the debut of '']''. The program aired weekly on NBC and went on to become the highest ranking sitcom of all time. For Cosby, the new situation comedy was a response to the increasingly violent and vulgar fare the networks usually offered. Cosby is an advocate for humor that is both humorous and family-oriented. He insisted on and received total creative control of the series, and he was involved in every aspect of the series. Not surprisingly, the show had parallels to Cosby's actual family life: like the characters Cliff and Claire Huxtable, Cosby and his wife Camille were college educated, financially successful, and had five children. Essentially a throwback to the wholesome family situation comedy, ''The Cosby Show'' was unprecedented in its portrayal of an intelligent, affluent, nonstereotypical African-American family.

Much of the material from the ] and first season of ''The Cosby Show'' was taken from his then popular video '']'', released in 1983. The series was an immediate success, debuting near the top of the ratings and staying there for most of its long run. ''The Cosby Show'' is one of only two American programs that have been #1 in the ] for five consecutive seasons, along with '']''. '']'' magazine called the show "revolutionary", and '']'' concurred that it was a "real breakthrough."

In 1987, Cosby attempted to return to the big screen with the spy spoof '']''. Unfortunately, although Cosby himself was producer and wrote the story,<ref></ref> he realized during production that the film was not going to be what he wanted and publicly denounced it, warning audiences to "stay away".

==In the 1990s and 2000s==
].]]
After ''The Cosby Show'' went off the air in 1992, Cosby embarked on a number of other projects, including a ] of the classic ] game show '']'' (1992-1993) along with the TV-movie '']'' (1994) and '']'' (1994). In the mid-1990s, he appeared as a detective in ] ]-themed commercials for ]. He also made appearances in three more films, '']'' (1990), '']'' (1993); and '']'' (1996); in addition to being interviewed in ]'s '']'' (1997), a documentary about the ] of a ], ], church in 1963. Also in 1996, he started up a new show for CBS, '']'', again co-starring ], his onscreen wife on ''The Cosby Show''. Cosby co-produced the show for Carsey-Werner Productions. The show was based on a cynical British program called '']'', but Cosby lightened the humor. It centered on Cosby as Hilton Lucas, an iconoclastic senior citizen who tries to find a new job after being "downsized", and in the meantime, gets on his wife's nerves. ] costarred as Rashād's goofy business partner. Cosby was hired by CBS to be the official "spokesman" for the ] during an advertising campaign from 1995-1998. In addition, Cosby in 1998 became the host of '']''. After four solid seasons, ''Cosby'' was canceled. The last episode aired April 28, 2000. ''Kids Say the Darndest Things'' was also canceled the same year. Cosby continued to work with ] through a development deal and other projects.

A series for preschoolers, '']'', made its debut on ] in 1999. The network renewed the popular program in November 2000. In 2001, at an age when many give serious consideration to retirement, Cosby's agenda included the publication of a new book, as well as delivering the commencement addresses at ], ], and at ]<ref name="rpi_grad"></ref>. Also that year, he signed a deal with ] to develop a live-action feature film centering on the popular ] character from his 1970s cartoon series. '']'' was released in theaters in December 2004. In May 2007 he spoke at the Commencement of ].

In the summer of ], Cosby hosted a comedy gala at ]'s ] comedy festival, the world's largest.

==Personal life==
Cosby met his wife Camille Hanks while he was performing stand-up in ], in the early 1960s, and she was a student at the ]. They married on January 25, 1964, and had five children: daughters Erika Ranee (b. 1965), Erinn Chalene (b. 1966), Ensa Camille (b. 1973), and Evin Harrah (b. 1976), and son ] (1969-1997). His son Ennis was shot dead while changing a flat tire on the side of the ] in ] on January 16, 1997.

Bill Cosby is an active alumni supporter of his alma mater, ], and in particular their men's basketball team, whose games Cosby frequently attends (particularly during the team's glory days under coach ], who is a close friend of Cosby).

Cosby is a devoted fan of the ]. In 2002, when both the Eagles' starting and backup quarterbacks were injured, Cosby sent a letter to head coach Andy Reid, joking that he was ready to play if needed.

Cosby also attends many public events, such as the 100th ] at ] in New York on February 2, 2007. His love for ] has also been shown with his long time sponsorship, and on-track work with the Penn Relays. For many years, Cosby has been known to work the finish line at Franklin Field and congratulate athletes. In 1988, Cosby ran the anchor leg at Penn in a two team race on a 4x400 relay. In a unique twist, Cosby's team was far ahead and his premature celebration was broken when Olympic medalist Valerie Brisco-Hooks, the other team's anchor leg, patted him on the "boom-boom" and passed him en route to victory. The event ended up as a scene on ''The Cosby Show'' showing Cosby, as Dr. Huxtable, losing an important grudge match race against the team of former college rival Col. Sanford "Tailwind" Turner (USMC).

Cosby enjoys ]s, a hobby he picked up from ], one of his comedy influences.

Cosby maintains homes in ] and ].

During the ], he celebrated the draft with former ]' ] ] as a means of support. He even wore a ] helmet and jersey.

Bill Cosby has hosted the ] ] since 1979. An avid musician, he's best known as a jazz drummer although he can be seen playing bass guitar with Jerry Lewis & Sammy Davis Jr. on Hugh Hefner's 70's talk show. His ribald story "The Regular Way" was featured in Playboy's December 1968 issue.<ref>Cosby, Bill. "The Regular Way", page 115, ''Playboy'', December 1968</ref>

]

==Awards and Honors==

* On March 8, 2009, Cosby presented and hosted the 'Some Enchanted Evening', a musical birthday salute to Senator ].
* In a British 2005 poll to find ''The Comedian's Comedian'', he was voted among the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
* He received Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3713&source_type=A |title=BIOGRAPHY OF BILL COSBY |accessdate=2007-02-23 |publisher=]}}</ref>
* He was awarded the ] in 2002.
* He won the 2003 ].
* In 1969, he received the third in a long line of prestigious "Man of the Year" awards from ]'s famed performance group, the ].

===Honorary degrees===
Cosby has received honorary degrees from several colleges and universities:

* On December 5, 2008, Cosby received an Honorary Degree of ] from ].
* Cosby received an Honorary Degree of ] from ] at its 2007 commencement ceremony, where he was also the keynote speaker.<ref> "Commencement 2007- Carnegie Mellon University"</ref>
* He received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from ] during the 2004 commencement ceremony.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Retiring College President Lee Eliot Berk and Bill Cosby Honored at Berklee College of Music's 2004 Commencement |publisher=] |date=2004-05-08 |url=http://www.berklee.edu/commencement/2004/press.html |accessdate=2007-02-23}}</ref> Cosby was also a speaker at the school's 60th anniversary concert in 2005.
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from ] (September 4, 2003 "Spirit Rally").
* Cosby received an Honorary Degree of ] from ] on 2003.<ref> Vol 31, No 31. June 6, 2003.</ref>
* Cosby received an Honorary Degree in 2003 presented by President ] from the ] on the Lake Traverse Reservation for his contributions to minority education.
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from ] during the 2003 graduation ceremony.
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from ], May 2002.<ref>http://www.haverford.edu/commencement/cosby.htm</ref> (Doctor of Humane Letters, ''honoris causa'')
* Cosby received Honorary Degrees from ]<ref name="rpi_grad" /> and the ] in 2001.
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from ], May 1999. (Doctor of Humane Letters, ''honoris causa'')
* Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate from the ] in May 1997. He also served as the commencement speaker.

==Views on morality and socioeconomic issues==
{{Main|Pound Cake speech}}
In May 2004 after receiving an award at the celebration of the 50th Anniversary commemoration of the '']'' ruling, the ]'s decision that outlawed school ], Cosby made public remarks critical of ] who put higher priorities on ], ], and "acting hard" than on education, self-respect, and self-improvement. He has made a plea for African American families to educate their children on the many different aspects of American culture (Baker).

In "Pound Cake," Cosby, whose doctorate degree is in education, asked that African American parents begin teaching their children better morals at a younger age. He directed this address to the leaders in the lower and middle economic classes of the African-American community (see ]). Cosby told reporters of the ''Washington Times'', "Parenting needs to come to the forefront. If you need help and you don't know how to parent, we want to be able to reach out and touch" (DeBose, Brian). Richard Leiby of the '']'' reported, "Bill Cosby was anything but ] in his remarks Monday night at a ] bash commemorating the 50th anniversary of the '']'' decision."

Cosby again came under sharp criticism, and again he was largely unapologetic for his stance when he made similar remarks during a speech in a July 1 meeting commemorating the anniversary of ''Brown v. Board of Education''. During that speech, he admonished blacks for not assisting or concerning themselves with the individuals who are involved with crime or have counter-productive aspirations. He further described those who needed attention as "blacks had forgotten the sacrifices of those in the ]." The talk was interrupted several times by applause and received praise from leaders such as ]. The speech was featured in the landmark African-American documentary ] which set the speech to cartoon visuals.<ref></ref>

Georgetown University sociology professor ] wrote a book in 2005 entitled ''Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch?''<ref name="Dyson">{{cite map|publisher= National Public Radio|title= Is Bill Cosby Right or Is the Black Middle Class Out of Touch?|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4628960|author=KTVU Staff|accessdate= 23 July 2009}}</ref> In the book, Dyson wrote that Cosby was overlooking larger social factors that reinforce poverty and associated crime; factors such as deteriorating schools, stagnating wages, dramatic shifts in the economy, offshoring and downsizing, chronic underemployment, and job and capital flight.<ref name="Dyson column">{{cite map|publisher= The Washington Post|title=The Injustice Bill Cosby Won't See|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/20/AR2006072001631.html|author=Michael Eric Dyson|accessdate= 28 July 2009}}</ref> Dyson suggested Cosby's comments "betray classist, elitist viewpoints rooted in generational warfare."<ref name="Dyson"/>

In a 2008 interview Cosby mentioned Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Oakland, Detroit and ] as some of the cities where crime was high and young African-American men were being murdered and jailed in disproportionate numbers. Cosby stood his ground against criticism and affirmed that African-American parents were continuing to fail to inculcate proper standards of moral behavior.<ref>http://www.diamondsuite.net/index.php/?p=420</ref> Cosby still lectures to black communities (usually at churches) about his frustrations with certain problems prevalent in underprivileged urban communities such as ], ], ], high school dropouts, ], ], ], ], offensive clothing, ], ], ] and failing to live up to the ideals of ], ] and the African American ancestors that preceded ]. Cosby criticizes those African Americans who associate his ideals with race treachery.

==Discography==
{{Expand section|Album peaks, Canadian/other int'l peaks|date=August 2009}}
===Albums===
*'']'' (1963)
*'']'' (1964)
*'']'' (1965)
*'']'' (1966)
*'']'' (1967)
*'']'' (1967)
*'']'' (1968)
*'']'' (1968)
*'']'' (1968)
*'']'' (1969)
*'']'' (1969)
*'']'' (1969)
*'']'' (1970)
*'']'' (1970)
*'']'' (1970)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1971)
*'']'' (1972)
*'']'' (1973)
*'']'' (1973)
*''At Last Bill Cosby Really Sings'' (1974)
*''Down Under'' (1975)
*'']'' (1976)
*'']'' (1977)
*'']'' (1977)
*'']'' (1978)
*'']'' (1982)
*'']'' (1986)
*''Cosby and the Kids'' (1986)
*''Where You Lay Your Head'' (1990)
*''My Appreciation'' (1991)
*''Oh, Baby'' (1991)
*''At His Best'' (1994)
*''Hello Friend: To Ennis, With Love'' (1997)
*''20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Cosby'' (2001)
*''The Bill Cosby Collection'' (2004)
*'']'' (2008)
*''Keep Standing'' (2008)
===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Year
!rowspan="2"|Single
!colspan="2"|Chart Positions
|-
!width="50"|<small>]</small>
!width="50"|<small>]</small>
|-
|1967
|"Little Ol' Man (Uptight—Everything's Alright)"
|4
|18
|-
|1970
|"Grover Henson Feels Forgotten"
|70
|—
|-
|rowspan=2|1976
|"I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself"
|—
|59
|-
|"Yes, Yes, Yes"
|46
|11
|}

==Books==
*'']'' (1986) - ISBN 0-425-09772-2
*''Time Flies'' (1987) - ISBN 0-553-27724-3
*''Love and Marriage'' (1989) - ISBN 0-553-28467-3
*''Childhood'' (1991) - ISBN 0-399-13647-9
*''Kids Say the Darndest Things'' (1998) - ISBN 0-553-58126-0
*''Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates (1999) - ISBN 0-7868-6572-5
*''American Schools: The 100 Billion Dollar Challenge (2000) - ISBN 0-7595-5000-X (with Dwight Allen Ed.D.)
*''Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy'' (2001) - ISBN 0-7868-6810-4
*''I Am What I Ate...and I'm Frightened!!!'' (2003) - ISBN 0-06-054573-9
*''Friends of a Feather'' (2003) - ISBN 0-06-009147-9
*''Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors'' (2007) - ISBN 1-59-555092-5 (with Alvin F. Poussaint M.D.)

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

;General References:
{{Sourcesstart}}
*{{cite news
|author=DeBose, Brian
|title="Cosby urges leaders to aid black families"
|work=The Washington Times
|date=September 9, 2004
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5244/is_200409/ai_n19571672 |accessdate=2007-11-04}}
*Leiby, Richard. "Publications with a Cannes-Do Attitude." ''Washington Post''. May 19, 2004: 3.
*Morano, Marc. "Bill Cosby was hounded by President Nixon." World Entertainment News Network. May 1, 2000. 2 Mar 2006. www.imdb.com
*"Segregated Expectations" ''USA Today''. May 15, 2003: 12.
*Wu, Frank H. "Brown at 50: Keeping Promises." Black Issues in Higher Education. May 20, 2004: 49
*{{cite web|accessdate=2007-11-04
|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/cosby_bill.htm
|title= Biography &mdash; William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr.
|work= Biographies in Naval History
|publisher= Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy
|date=June 22, 2006
}}
{{Sourcesend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{portalpar|African American|AmericaAfrica.png}}
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* {{imdb|0001070}}
* {{ibdb|36396}}
* (24&nbsp;minutes)
* from interview after the ]
*
*{{worldcat id|id=lccn-n82-52577}}

{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorTVComedy 1970-1989}}

{{Persondata
|NAME= Cosby, Bill
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Cosby, William Henry, Jr.
|SHORT DESCRIPTION=
|DATE OF BIRTH= {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1937|7|12}}
|PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ], U.S.
|DATE OF DEATH=
|PLACE OF DEATH=
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosby, Bill}}
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Revision as of 15:58, 16 September 2009

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