Samuel Bronson Cooper (May 30, 1850 – August 21, 1918) was a

United States 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 ...

from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

and a Member of the Board of General Appraisers.

Education and career

Born on May 30, 1850, near Eddyville in Caldwell County,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, Cooper moved to

with his family the same year and located in Woodville, Tyler County, Texas and attended the common schools. Cooper

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

and was admitted to the bar in 1871. He entered private practice in Woodville from 1872 to 1885. He was prosecutor for Tyler County from 1876 to 1880. He was a member of the Texas Senate from 1881 to 1885. He was appointed the Collector of Internal Revenue for the First District of Texas in Galveston by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

, serving from 1885 to 1888. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Texas district judge in 1888.

Congressional service

Cooper 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

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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

of the

53rd United States Congress The 53rd 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, 1893 ...

and to the five succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1905. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the

59th United States Congress The 59th 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, 1905, t ...

. He was again elected to the

60th United States Congress The 60th 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 March 4, 1907, to M ...

and served from March 4, 1907, to March 3, 1909. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the 61st United States Congress.

Federal judicial service

Cooper was nominated by President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

on May 16, 1910, to a seat on the Board of General Appraisers vacated by Marion De Vries. He was confirmed by 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 ...

on May 24, 1910, and received his commission on May 26, 1910. His service terminated on August 21, 1918, due to his death in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He was succeeded by George Emery Weller. He was interred in Magnolia Cemetery in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas.

Family

Cooper's daughter, Willie C. Cooper, was born in Woodville. At the age of sixteen she was graduated from the Texas Female College with first honors. Willie was the first wife of

William P. Hobby William Pettus Hobby (March 26, 1878 – June 7, 1964) was known as the publisher/owner of the '' Beaumont Enterprise'' when he entered politics and the Democratic Party. Elected in 1914 as Lieutenant Governor of Texas, in 1917 he succeeded t ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Samuel Bronson 1850 births 1918 deaths People from Caldwell County, Kentucky People from Woodville, Texas Democratic Party Texas state senators Members of the Board of General Appraisers United States Article I federal judges appointed by William Howard Taft 20th-century American judges Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas 19th-century American politicians United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law