Howard Cohen ’50

He was raised in the Windsor Hills area of Baltimore and graduated from Mercersburg Academy in 1946. His major at Princeton was economics. After graduation, he enlisted in the Army and served as a lieutenant and forward observer in Korea from 1951 to 1953. In 1968, he earned a master’s degree in liberal arts from Johns Hopkins University.  

In 1957, with his brother-in-law, Howie co-founded a real-estate development company that built houses, apartments, office parks, and shopping centers in the Baltimore-Washington area.  

In the early 1970s, Howie began collecting African art and was considered an expert in the field. The Baltimore Museum of Art and Morgan State University have been recipients of donations from his personal collection. Another philanthropic interest of Howie’s was the disabled community, because his youngest son has developmental disabilities.

Howie served on many nonprofit boards. He was a world traveler, visiting more than 100 countries. He had a particular interest in China and was a founder of the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association.

Our sympathy goes to Jane, his wife of 46 years; sons Eric, Michael, and James; daughters Elizabeth and Emily; a sister; and a grandson.