Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is one of four sons born to Anna Pearl , a maid, and William Henry Cosby Sr., who served as a sailor in the U.S. Navy.During much of his early childhood, Cosby's father was away in the U.S. armed forces and spent several years fighting in World War II. As a student, he described himself as a class clown. Cosby was the captain of both the baseball team and the track and field team at Mary Channing0 Wister Public School in Philadelphia, as well as the class president.