Camille Cosby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camille Cosby
Cosby in 1998
Born	Camille Olivia Hanks (1944-03-20) March 20, 1944 (age 81) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma mater	University of Maryland (BA, MA) University of Massachusetts Amherst (Ed.D.)
Occupation	Television producer author philanthropist
Years active	1986–present
Known for	Philanthropy
Spouse(s)	Bill Cosby ​ (m. 1964)​
Children	5, including Erika and Ennis
Awards	Candace Award (1992)

Camille Olivia Cosby (born March 20, 1944) is an American television producer, writer, and a generous supporter of many causes. She is married to comedian Bill Cosby. The character of Clair Huxtable from The Cosby Show was inspired by her. Camille Cosby prefers to stay out of the public eye. However, she has been very active in her husband's business as a manager. She has also spent time in education and writing.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Washington D.C.

Camille Olivia Hanks was born on March 20, 1944. Her parents were Guy A. Hanks Sr. and Catherine C. Hanks. She grew up in Norbeck, Maryland, near Washington D.C. Camille was the oldest of four children. Her father was a chemist, and her mother worked at a nursery. Both of her parents went to college.

School Days and Learning

Camille Cosby attended private Catholic schools. She first went to St. Cyprian's, then St. Cecilia's Academy. She said that the Oblate Sisters, her first teachers, taught her about many possibilities. They also made every student feel valuable. After high school, she studied psychology at the University of Maryland. This is where she met Bill Cosby, her future husband.

Continuing Her Education

In 1990, Camille Cosby earned a master's degree. She then received a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in 1992. Both degrees were from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She shared in an interview that she felt a strong desire to go back to school in her mid-thirties. She had left college at 19 to marry Bill. With five children, she decided to return to her studies. Education helped her gain more confidence and grow as a person.

Career and Contributions

Behind the Scenes in Television

Judith James (left) and Camille Cosby (right) at the 59th Annual Peabody Awards in 2000.

Camille Cosby has mostly stayed away from public attention. She worked as her husband's manager. She is known as a very smart businesswoman. Bill Cosby once said that people found her tough to deal with when it came to his business. She also helped develop ideas for The Cosby Show. For example, she suggested the Huxtable family should be middle-class, not working-class. The character of Clair Huxtable was based on Camille.

Writing and Supporting Literature

Camille Cosby strongly supports African-American literature. She has written introductions for several books. In 1993, she wrote for Thelma Williams' Our Family Table. In 2009, she contributed to Dear Success Seeker. In 2014, she wrote for The Man from Essence.

In 1994, Cosby released her own book. It was called Television's Imageable Influences: The Self-Perception of Young African-Americans. This book explored how negative images of African Americans in media can be harmful.

She also worked with David C. Driskell on his book. It was about the art collection of Camille and William H. Cosby Jr. In 2004, she co-edited A Wealth of Wisdom. This book shared stories from important African American elders.

Leading and Inspiring Others

In 2001, Camille Cosby helped start the National Visionary Leadership Project. This group aims to inspire future leaders. They do this by recording and sharing stories from amazing African American elders.

Cosby was also a co-producer for the Broadway play Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years. This play was based on a book about the Delany sisters. After the play's success, she helped turn their story into a television movie in 1999.

Philanthropy and Giving Back

Supporting Education

Camille Cosby has a long history of giving to schools and educational groups. She has supported organizations like Operation PUSH and The United Negro College Fund.

In the 1980s, she and her husband gave money to Central State University. This is a historically black university in Ohio. They also donated to Fisk University in 1987.

In 1988, they made a very large donation of $20 million to Spelman College. Spelman is a top Historically Black women's college in Atlanta. This was the biggest donation ever given to a Black college at that time. Spelman College later named a large academic building after her. They also created a "Camille Cosby Day."

A few months later, the Cosbys gave money to Meharry Medical College and Bethune-Cookman University. In 2005, Camille Cosby donated $2 million to St. Frances Academy. This Black Catholic high school in Baltimore used the money for scholarships in her name.

Awards and Recognition

In July 1992, Camille Cosby received the Candace Award. This award recognizes minority women who have made important contributions to their communities.

Personal Life

Family Life

Camille Cosby met Bill Cosby on a blind date while in college. They got engaged soon after and married on January 25, 1964. They have five children: Erika, Erinn, Ennis, Ensa, and Evin.

Sadly, their son Ennis passed away in 1997 at age 27. Their daughter Ensa passed away in 2018 at age 44.

Public Appearances and Art

In 1982, Camille Cosby joined other leaders to meet Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. She and Bill Cosby were featured on the cover of Ebony magazine in 1966. In 1996, Ebony named her one of the "15 most beautiful Black women."

Camille Cosby loves collecting art, especially quilts made by African Americans. She owns many works by artist Ellis Ruley. She has also been painted by artist Simmie Knox multiple times. In 1981, she bought a painting called The Thankful Poor by Henry Ossawa Tanner as a Christmas gift for her husband.

Filmography