Leslie H. Cochran was born on April 24, 1939. He was awarded his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from Western Michigan University in 1961 and 1962, respectively. Cochran earned his Doctorate in Education from Wayne State University in 1968. For ten years, Cochran served in a variety of administrative roles at Central Michigan University, including that of Vice Provost for Academic Administration. In 1980, he was appointed Provost at Southeast Missouri State University, a position he held until his appointment as YSU President in 1992. During his presidency, Cochran initiated Campus 2000, later renamed YSU 2000, an ambitious design for campus expansion and academic excellence. His legacies include a university scholars program, a new college of education building, and the YSU Metro Campus, an off-campus outreach program.
From the description of Office of the President, Youngstown State University, Leslie H. Cochran : records, 1992-2000. (Youngstown State University). WorldCat record id: 465417302
