Prentice Cooper

Prentice Cooper (ca.1940)

William Prentice Cooper (born September 28, 1895 in Shelbyville , Bedford County , Tennessee , †  May 18, 1969 in Rochester , Minnesota ) was an American politician and the 43rd  governor of the state of Tennessee.

Early years and political advancement

Prentice Cooper attended local elementary schools in Bedford County. Between 1913 and 1915 he studied at Vanderbilt University and then until 1917 at Princeton University . After the American entry into World War I, he volunteered for the army. He completed his training, but was no longer sent to Europe because the war had ended earlier. In January 1919 he became a civilian again. On his return he studied law at Harvard University until 1921 . He was admitted to the bar in 1922 and practiced as a lawyer in Shelbyville from 1923. In the times of his further life, since he held no public office, he returned again and again to this profession in Shelbyville or later Lewisburg . He also worked as a prosecutor in these two cities.

Cooper's political career began in 1923 when he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives . He then served for two years as a District Attorney in the 8th Judicial District of Tennessee. Between 1937 and 1939 he was a member of the Senate of his home state. Governor Gordon Browning , who had won office in 1936 with the help of the powerful and influential former Mayor of Memphis, Edward Crump , had since fallen out with him. Crump withdrew his support from Browning and instead of his Prentice he sponsored Cooper for the 1938 gubernatorial election.

Governor of Tennessee

Cooper remained governor of Tennessee for a total of three two-year terms (1939-1945). His tenure was largely overshadowed by World War II. Cooper supported the federal government's war effort as best he could. 300,000 Tennessee men served in the US armed forces in all theaters of war. New military facilities were built in Tennessee itself, including the Oak Ridge National Laboratory , where the atomic bomb was developed. Other military bases were also set up for training purposes. At the same time arms factories sprang up everywhere. Similarly, but on a decidedly larger scale than from 1917 to 1918, Tennessee experienced an economic boom due to war production. However, this was less of a credit to the governor than to the general circumstances of the war and the planning of the government in Washington.

In his area, Cooper ensured a further reduction in national debt. The budget for education was increased by 66%. Students received free textbooks and old-age benefits were doubled. Cooper was also successful in the healthcare field. He promoted hospitals, especially to contain tuberculosis. Finally, he also campaigned for the expansion of the state landscape parks.

Old age and death

At the end of his third and final term, Cooper resigned from office on January 16, 1945. From 1946 to 1948 he was US ambassador to Peru . In 1953, he became president of a convention that revised the Tennessee Constitution. As a result, he devoted himself to private life and his parish. From 1941 until his death he was a member of the Tennessee Historical Commission .

Prentice Cooper died of cancer on May 18, 1969 in Rochester. He was married to Hortense Powell, with whom he had three children, including their son James, born in 1954, who was to become Congressman for Tennessee.

Web links

• Prentice Cooper in the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Tennessee (English)
• Prentice Cooper in the database of Find a Grave (English)