Charles Merian Cooper (January 16, 1856 – November 14, 1923) was an American attorney and politician who served two terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

from

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

from 1893 until 1897.

Early life and education

Cooper was born on January 16, 1856, in

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

. His father, Charles Phillip Cooper, served as a

United States Treasury Department The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States. It is one of 15 current U.S. government departments. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and ...

agent until the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, when he was appointed to help organize the Confederate States Treasury Department. In 1864, he and his family moved to

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

in order to escape Union forces. Cooper studied law at Gainesville Academy, graduating in 1867. He was accepted into the Florida Bar in the same year, and began a private practice in

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...

Political career

In 1880, Cooper, a Democrat, was elected to the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

, representing St. John's County. He served until 1884, when he was elected to the

Florida Senate The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...

from St. John's County.

State Attorney General

On January 13, 1885, Cooper was appointed as the 15th

Florida Attorney General The Florida attorney general is an elected Florida Cabinet, cabinet official in the U.S. state of Florida. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state, and is head of the Florida Department of Legal Affairs. The office is ...

by Governor Edward A. Perry. Cooper served until 1889 when his term expired. Later that year, he was one of three commissioners appointed to revise the state's statutes.

Congress

In 1892, the Democratic U.S. Representative from Florida's 2nd district, Robert Bullock, did not seek reelection. Cooper successfully received the Democratic nomination and defeated his opponent,

Populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...

State Representative Austin S. Mann, with 76% of the vote. Cooper successfully sought reelection in 1894, defeating Populist Montholom Atkinson with 80% of the vote. The Republican Party did not nominate any candidates in either of the races.

Retirement from House

Cooper did not run for reelection in 1896 and returned to his private practice in Jacksonville.

Personal life

In 1880, Cooper married Rosa Leonardi. They had two children, Charles Philip and James Jackson Gignilliat.

Death

Cooper died in Jacksonville on November 14, 1923.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Charles Merian 1856 births 1923 deaths Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives Democratic Party Florida state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida Florida attorneys general Politicians from Athens, Georgia Politicians from Jacksonville, Florida 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Florida Legislature