William Prentice Cooper (September 27, 1870 – July 3, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Early life

William Prentice Cooper was born on September 27, 1870. He graduated from

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

in 1890, where he was a member of

Sigma Alpha Epsilon Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...

Career

Cooper was a lawyer. He served as the mayor of

Shelbyville, Tennessee Shelbyville is a city in and the county seat of Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The town was laid out in 1810 and incorporated in 1819. Shelbyville had a population of 20,335 residents at the 2010 census. The town is a hub of the Tenness ...

from 1905 to 1907. He also served as the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1915 to 1917. Cooper served on the board of trustees of the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

from 1915 to 1958. Governor Prentice Cooper House

Personal life

Cooper married Argentine Shofner. Their son,

Prentice Cooper William Prentice Cooper Jr. (September 28, 1895May 18, 1969) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 39th governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945. He led the state's mobilization efforts for World War II, when over 300,000 Ten ...

, served as the 39th Governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945. They resided at the Gov. Prentice Cooper House in Shelbyville, built in 1904 for them, and based on the design of a house he owned in

Henderson, Kentucky Henderson is a home rule-class city along the Ohio River and is the county seat of Henderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,757 at the 2010 U.S. census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area, locally known as t ...

. His wife inherited the

Absalom Lowe Landis House The Absalom Lowe Landis House, also known as Beech Hall, is a historic house in Normandy, Tennessee. History The house was built in 1866 for Absalom Lowe Landis, a veteran of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War who served ...

, also known as Beech Hall, in

Normandy, Tennessee Normandy is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 141 at the 2010 census. Normandy Dam is located just northeast of the town. The town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Normandy Historic ...

, where the Coopers summered. Beech Hall Farmhouse

Death and legacy

Cooper died on July 3, 1961. His grandson,

Jim Cooper James Hayes Shofner Cooper (born June 19, 1954) is an American lawyer, businessman, professor, and politician who served as the U.S. representative for (based in Nashville and containing parts of Davidson, Cheatham, and Dickson Counties) fro ...

, was a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

who retired from his seat in 2022.

References

External links

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Picture of tomb with bibliographic information
1870 births 1961 deaths People from Shelbyville, Tennessee Vanderbilt University alumni American lawyers Speakers of the Tennessee House of Representatives Mayors of places in Tennessee Cooper family People from Bedford County, Tennessee {{Tennessee-stub