William Prentice Cooper
US lawyer and politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Prentice Cooper (September 27, 1870 – July 3, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
William Prentice Cooper | |
|---|---|
| |
| 59th Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives | |
| In office 1915–1917 | |
| Preceded by | William M. Stanton |
| Succeeded by | Clyde Shropshire |
| Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 16th district | |
| In office 1915–1917 | |
| Preceded by | A. A. Stone |
| Succeeded by | J. R. Hart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Prentice Cooper September 27, 1870 |
| Died | July 3, 1961 (aged 90) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Argentine Shofner (m. 1894) |
| Children | Prentice |
| Relatives | Jim Cooper, John Cooper (grandsons) |
| Education | Vanderbilt University |
| Occupation | Lawyer, politician |
Early life
William Prentice Cooper was born on September 27, 1870. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1890, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.[1]
Career
Cooper was a lawyer.[1] He served as the mayor of Shelbyville, Tennessee from 1905 to 1907.[2] He also served as the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1915 to 1917.[1][2]
Cooper served on the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee from 1915 to 1958.[2]
Personal life
Cooper married Argentine Shofner.[3] Their son, Prentice Cooper, served as the 39th Governor of Tennessee from 1939 to 1945.[2][3] They resided at the Gov. Prentice Cooper House in Shelbyville, built in 1904 for them, and based on the design of a house he owned in Henderson, Kentucky.[4] His wife inherited the Absalom Lowe Landis House, also known as Beech Hall, in Normandy, Tennessee, where the Coopers summered.[5]
Death and legacy
Cooper died on July 3, 1961.[2] His grandson, Jim Cooper, was a member of the United States House of Representatives who retired from his seat in 2022.[6]
