John Joseph Cochran (August 11, 1880 – March 6, 1947) was a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

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 ...

. Cochran was born in

Webster Groves, Missouri Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster University. Geography Webster Groves is located at ( ...

; his father and maternal grandparents were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrants. He attended the public schools in Webster Groves. He was employed in the editorial department of various St. Louis newspapers for many years, and served as assistant to the election commissioners of St. Louis from 1911 to 1913. In 1913 Cochran became secretary to Representative William L. Igoe 1913–1917, serving in that capacity again from 1918 to 1921. Cochran was private secretary to

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

William J. Stone William Joel Stone (May 7, 1848April 14, 1918) was a Democratic politician from Missouri who represented his state in the United States House of Representatives from 1885 to 1891, and in the U.S. Senate from 1903 until his death; he also served ...

and clerk to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1917 and 1918. Cochran studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1921 at St. Louis, Missouri, but did not engage in extensive practice. From 1921 through 1926 he served as secretary to Representative Harry B. Hawes. Cochran was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

Sixty-ninth Congress The 69th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1925, ...

to fill the vacancy caused by Hawes' resignation, and at the same time was elected to the Seventieth Congress. Cochran was reelected to the

Seventy-first Congress The 71st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislature of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1929, to Ma ...

Seventy-second Congress The 72nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1931 ...

, and

Seventy-third Congress The 73rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1933, ...

. Cochran did not seek renomination in 1934, but ran unsuccessfully against

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator. Subsequently, Cochran was nominated by convention and elected to the

Seventy-fourth Congress The 74th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1935, ...

, and reelected to the Seventy-fifth and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from November 2, 1926, to January 3, 1947. Cochran served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments (Seventy-second through Seventy-sixth Congresses), and the Committee on Accounts (Seventy-sixth through

Seventy-ninth Congress The 79th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1945, ...

es). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1946 to the Eightieth Congress. Cochran died in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 6, 1947, and was interred in Calvary Cemetery. The John Cochran Veterans Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo is named in his behalf.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cochran, John Joseph 1880 births 1947 deaths 20th-century American politicians American people of Irish descent People from Webster Groves, Missouri Politicians from St. Louis United States congressional aides Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri