Honoring James Cotten 1927-2020

James A. Cotten Memorial Scholarship

The James Cotten Sr. Memorial Scholarship commemorates the life and contributions of James Cotten Sr. There will be two scholarships awarded annually, in the amount of $1,000 each.
ALL STUDENTS WHO APPLIED FOR THE 2023 SCHOLARSHIP WILL BE CONTACTED BY PHONE
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Tuskegee Airman James Cotten remembered in South Jersey with more than words

Carol Comegno Cherry Hill Courier-Post

Statements On The Death Of Tuskegee Airman James Cotten

-By David Wildstein

As a member of the Board of Directors, Jim focused on lending his guidance to his colleagues to make well-considered decisions and to always bear in mind the best interests of the members. His years of experience as a credit union leader who was always engaged in the industry and provided a wealth of perspective to the Board discussions. He’s always prepared to speak to the management about issues that required thoughtful decisions and he absolutely was supportive of the strategic goals. Jim’s contributions to the many significant decisions that were made by the Board of ABCO FCU over the course of the last year have been critical to the success of the organization.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee of ABCO Federal Credit Union, Mr. Cotten also served on the Board of Directors of McGuire AFB Federal Credit Union. He also spent 20 years on the Board of Directors of the New Jersey Credit Union League, contributing greatly to the statewide success of its members.

A National Hero

Mr. Cotten had a distinguished record of service to our nation, having been appointed in January 1945 to the elite Tuskegee Airmen, known as the “Red Tails”. This group of pilots, navigators, bombardiers, maintenance, support staff and instructors was charged with keeping planes in the air during a challenging time in world history. In July 1949, he was assigned to the 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron 4th Fighter Group as the Air Operations NCO. He was the first African American to be assigned to this organization. Jim served his country for more than 20 years and then continued in civil service at Joint Base McGuire- Lakehurst for another 45 years before his retirement.

Distinguished Member of the Board and Mentor

James Cotten served on the Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee of ABCO for two decades, always attentive to participating in meetings, educational sessions, and discussions about the welfare and direction of the credit union. Mr. Cotten embodied the values of our credit union and the entire industry with his genuine commitment to service and his efforts to improve the lives of others. He lived his life abiding by two mottos that he embraced as a Tuskegee Airman and as a member of the “Twenty Plus Retirement Club”: “Thou Shalt Not Quit” and “Still Serving”. One of the core principles that he learned while serving our nation is a truth that the Volunteers and Staff of ABCO strive to uphold: “Every day is another day to excel!”