Sam C. Cook
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 from 1912 to 1921.[1]
Sam C. Cook | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi | |
| In office May 10, 1912 – 1921 | |
| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the Coahoma County district Panola County (1886-1888) | |
| In office January 1890 – January 1896 | |
| In office January 1886 – January 1888 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 13, 1855 Oxford, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | February 15, 1924 (aged 69) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 4 |
Early life
Sam C. Cook was born on July 13, 1855, in Oxford, Mississippi.[2] He was the son of Milas J. Cook and Martha (Bumpass) Cook.[2] Cook attended the public schools of Oxford, and graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1878.[2] He then began practicing law in Holmes County, Mississippi, before moving to Batesville, Mississippi, in 1880, and continuing to practice law there.[2]
Career
In 1885, Cook was elected to represent Panola County as a Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives and served in the 1886 session.[2] In 1888, he moved to Clarksdale, Mississippi.[2] Cook represented Coahoma County in the House in the 1890, 1892, and 1894 sessions.[2] He was appointed attorney for the Yazoo Mississippi delta levee board in 1900 and served two years.[2] He was appointed circuit Judge of the Eleventh district by former Governor Andrew H. Longino in 1902 and was reappointed by Governors James K. Vardaman Jr. and Edmond Noel.[3]
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.[1] In 1920, Brewer was challenged in his bid for reelection by William Dozier Anderson.[1] 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.[1]
Personal life
Cook was a Methodist.[2] He married Elizabeth Murphy on October 25, 1882, and they had four children, named Charles, Edwin, Marjorie, and Sam Jr.[2]
References
- Leslie Southwick, Mississippi Supreme Court Elections: A Historical Perspective 1916-1996, 18 Miss. C. L. Rev. 115 (1997-1998).
- Rowland, Dunbar (1912). The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi. Department of Archives and History. pp. 335–336.
- "Judge Sam C. Cook", The Chattanooga News (February 15, 1924), p. 2.