Mickey Cox was born in Okemah, Oklahoma on December 15, 1934.  He traveled with his parents and siblings to California at the age of five, where they settled for several years in the Richmond area of Northern California.  While he was still in elementary school, the Cox family moved to the Clovis area where Mickey's father farmed.  Mickey graduated from Clovis High School in 1953 after being heavily involved in varsity basketball, swimming and diving, and serving as a reporter on the school newspaper.  

After graduating from high school, Mickey wasn't originally interested in going to college.  A two-year stint in the Army changed his mind about the importance of an education.  Upon his release from the Army, Mickey enrolled at Fresno City College and never looked back.  He graduated from Fresno State with his teaching certificate and then began his teaching career at Fort Washington Elementary School.  During his varied Clovis Unified academic career, he served as teacher, coach, resource specialist, learning director, and principal.  He was the principal of Clark Intermediate School at the time of his death in June, 1979.  Several months later, the newly built elementary school on the corner of Sierra and Armstrong was named in his memory as Mickey Cox Elementary.  His memory lives on through our school and as well as the memorial scholarship given in his name to a Clovis High graduate each year.

Mickey is survived by his wife, Ellen Cox-Rhodes and two children, Leslie Cox and Ryan Cox.  Leslie has taught at Clark for many years and Ryan is a Dean of Business and Computer Science for the Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento.