Sam C. Cook (July 13, 1855 – February 15, 1924) was a judge and state legislator in Mississippi. He served as a justice of the

Supreme Court of Mississippi The Supreme Court of Mississippi is the Supreme court, highest court in the state of Mississippi. It was established in 1818 per the terms of the first constitution of the state and was known as the High Court of Errors and Appeals from 1832 to 1 ...

from 1912 to 1921. Leslie Southwick
Mississippi Supreme Court Elections: A Historical Perspective 1916-1996
18 Miss. C. L. Rev. 115 (1997-1998).

Early life

Sam C. Cook was born on July 13, 1855, in

Oxford, Mississippi Oxford is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 14th most populous city in Mississippi, United States, and the county seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi, Lafayette County, southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis. A college town, Oxford ...

. He was the son of Milas J. Cook and Martha (Bumpass) Cook. Cook attended the public schools of Oxford, and graduated from the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...

with a

Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...

degree in 1878. He then began practicing law in

Holmes County, Mississippi Holmes County is a county in the U.S. state of Mississippi; its western border is formed by the Yazoo River and the eastern border by the Big Black River. The western part of the county is within the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. As of the 2020 c ...

, before moving to

Batesville, Mississippi Batesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,523 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 7,463 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Batesville is one of two county seats which th ...

, in 1880, and continuing to practice law there.

Career

In 1885, Cook was elected to represent Panola County 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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

in the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected for ...

and served in the 1886 session. In 1888, he moved to

Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19t ...

. Cook represented Coahoma County in the House in the 1890, 1892, and 1894 sessions. He was appointed attorney for the Yazoo Mississippi delta levee board in 1900 and served two years. He was appointed circuit Judge of the Eleventh district by former Governor

Andrew H. Longino Andrew Houston Longino (May 16, 1854 – February 24, 1942) was an American politician from Mississippi who served as a Democrat in the Mississippi State Senate (1880–1884), the U.S. District Attorney's (1888–1890), and Governor's offices (1 ...

in 1902 and was reappointed by Governors James K. Vardaman Jr. and

Edmond Noel Edmund Favor Noel (March 4, 1856 – July 30, 1927) was an American attorney and progressive politician who served as governor of Mississippi from 1908 to 1912. The son of an early planter family in Mississippi, he became a member of the Democr ...

."Judge Sam C. Cook", ''The Chattanooga News'' (February 15, 1924), p. 2. He was appointed to Mississippi's supreme court by Mississippi governor Earl L. Brewer in 1912 after serving in the state legislature and for two terms as a circuit judge. In 1920, Brewer was challenged in his bid for reelection by

William Dozier Anderson William Dozier Anderson (July 20, 1862 – January 6, 1952)Judge Anderso ...

. In the closing days of the election, Anderson accused Cook of having become lazy and careless in his opinion writing, and defeated Cook in the primary.

Personal life

Cook was a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

. He married Elizabeth Murphy on October 25, 1882, and they had four children, named Charles, Edwin, Marjorie, and Sam Jr.

References

1855 births 1924 deaths Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives Mississippi circuit court judges Justices of the Supreme Court of Mississippi People from Clarksdale, Mississippi Mississippi lawyers 19th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature {{Mississippi-state-judge-stub

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References