Robert Leroy "Roy" Cochran (January 28, 1886 – February 23, 1963) was an American Democratic

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and the 24th Governor of Nebraska. Cochran was born in

Avoca, Nebraska Avoca is a village in Cass County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 178 at the 2020 census. History Avoca was platted in 1882 when a new railroad line was extended to that point. The village is named after the River Avoca, in Irelan ...

, and began his education in a sod school house. After graduating from Brady High school, he worked his way through and received a civil engineering degree from the University of Nebraska in 1910. First working for the County Surveyor, he was hired as a surveyor by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. In 1912 he was elected County Surveyor and served in that position until 1916. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served two years in the Army Artillery Corps and was discharged with the rank of captain in 1919. He was married to Aileen Gant on March 15, 1919, and the couple had two children, Robert Leroy Jr and Mary Aileen.

Political and military career

Cochran served in the U.S. Army

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an Corps#Administrative corps, administrative corps responsible for coastal defence and fortification, coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft Seacoast defense in the United States, defense of the United S ...

during World War I, being discharged with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He was commissioned in the

Officers Reserve Corps The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020, ...

after the war, reaching the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

and commanding the 507th Coast Artillery Regiment from 1927 to 1933. Cochran ran for governor of Nebraska and won in 1934, defeating the Republican candidate,

Dwight Griswold Dwight Palmer Griswold (November 27, 1893April 12, 1954) was an American publisher and politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He served as the 25th governor of Nebraska from 1941 to 1947, and in the United States Senate from 1952 until his ...

, by 17,388 votes (50,8% to 47.7%). He was re-elected in 1936, again defeating Griswold, this time by 55.9% to 43.1%. In 1938 he was elected for a third term as governor, defeating the Republican candidate, Charles J. Warner, by 44% to 40.6%; a third candidate, Charles W. Bryan, received 15.4% of the vote. This made him the first governor to serve three consecutive terms. In 1940 he ran unsuccessfully for Nebraska senator, unseating incumbent

Edward R. Burke Edward Raymond Burke (November 28, 1880November 4, 1968) was an American Democratic Party politician. Burke moved to Sparta, Wisconsin with his parents and then Beloit, Wisconsin, where he went to Beloit College. Burke graduated in 1906, mov ...

in the Democratic primary, but losing the general election to Hugh Butler by 57% to 41.5%. Cochran was called to active duty in the U.S. Army as the commander of

Fort Leonard Wood Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of The City of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Woo ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, from January 1941 to January 1942, before being retired for health reasons. He became Assistant Commissioner of the Federal Public Housing Authority from 1942 to 1943, and Commissioner from 1943 to 1944. He served as Deputy Commissioner of the American Mission for Aid to Greece. He retired from public life in 1956.

Death and legacy

Cochran died on February 23, 1963. He was a member of the Episcopal Church, a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Knight Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

Shriner Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

, and member of

Alpha Tau Omega Alpha Tau Omega (), commonly known as ATO, is an American social fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1865 by Otis Allan Glazebrook. The fraternity has around 250 active and inactive chapters and colonies in the United Stat ...

References

External links

*
Encyclopedia of Nebraska

* , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cochran, Robert Leroy 1886 births 1963 deaths 20th-century American politicians Democratic Party governors of Nebraska University of Nebraska alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians

Political and military career

Death and legacy

References

Further reading

External links