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

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

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 landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

, 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 primary 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 un ...

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 The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the state of Texas. The Senate ...

from 1881 to 1885. He was appointed the Collector of Internal Revenue for the First District of Texas in

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by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

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

Congressional service

Cooper was elected as a Democrat to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

of the 53rd United States Congress 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 The 61st 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, 1909, ...

Federal judicial service

Cooper was nominated by President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...

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 a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

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

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

. 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.

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 Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives