Changes

Reared mostly in Caddo Gap in Montgomery County, Arkansas, Cobb as a child often accompanied his father to work and hence developed an interest in the family business and later in the law as well.<ref>Cobb, p. 9</ref>  

Reared mostly in Caddo Gap in Montgomery County, Arkansas, Cobb as a child often accompanied his father to work and hence developed an interest in the family business and later in the law as well.<ref>Cobb, p. 9</ref>  

   

   

Cobb applied for a Rhodes scholarship, but the 1925 appointment went to [[J. William Fulbright]], a student at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville, who later became the UA president and a long-term U.S. senator.<ref>Cobb, p. 13</ref>Cobb organized a Republican club at Henderson, having received encouragement from some of the faculty members. He became acquainted with Harmon L. Remmel of Little Rock, the Republican national committeeman during much of the 1920s and arranged to have his older friend Remmel to deliver the 1925 commencement address at Henderson.<ref>Cobb, p. 15</ref>

Cobb applied for a Rhodes scholarship, but the 1925 appointment went to [[J. William Fulbright]], a student at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville, who later became the UA president and a long-term U.S. senator.<ref>Cobb, p. 13</ref> Cobb organized a Republican club at Henderson, having received encouragement from some of the faculty members. He became acquainted with Harmon L. Remmel of Little Rock, the Republican national committeeman during much of the 1920s and arranged to have his older friend Remmel to deliver the 1925 commencement address at Henderson.<ref>Cobb, p. 15</ref>

==Political career==

==Political career==

   

   

However, in 1966, Cobb endorsed Rockefeller as Faubus' successor, and the Republican defeated the Democrat James D. Johnson of Conway, a former member of the Arkansas Supreme Court who had previously been identified with the segregationists in the Little Rock Crisis. Cobb writes  of the changed scenario in his memoirs, "Arkansas Republicans were eager to work with Wintrhop Rockefeller on another race for governor if he could be led to run as a true Republican to help build the party in the state. I liked him personally. He showed me many courtesies, and I still thought [despite feelings in 1964] that he would make a good governor and could be elected on the Republican ticket. ... He had learned a lesson. And he won his next two races for governor.... His service contributed greatly to the enormous benefits of two-party government in Arkansas."<ref>Cobb, pp.143-144</ref>

However, in 1966, Cobb endorsed Rockefeller as Faubus' successor, and the Republican defeated the Democrat James D. Johnson of Conway, a former member of the Arkansas Supreme Court who had previously been identified with the segregationists in the Little Rock Crisis. Cobb writes  of the changed scenario in his memoirs, "Arkansas Republicans were eager to work with Wintrhop Rockefeller on another race for governor if he could be led to run as a true Republican to help build the party in the state. I liked him personally. He showed me many courtesies, and I still thought [despite feelings in 1964] that he would make a good governor and could be elected on the Republican ticket. ... He had learned a lesson. And he won his next two races for governor.... His service contributed greatly to the enormous benefits of two-party government in Arkansas."<ref>Cobb, pp.143-144</ref>

==Personal life==

==Personal life==

   

   

From the late 1960s until his retirement, Cobb focused on his petroleum and timber interests. In 1938, Cobb married the oil heiress Audrey Umsted, whom he had met while golfing. Her father, Sydney Albert Umsted, had in 1924 drilled the Discovery oil well in the Smackover field but was subsequently mortally injured in a train accident in [[Mississippi]] and died in a hospital in [[Memphis]], Tennessee.<ref>Cobb, pp. 77-78</ref> The Cobbs adopted one son, John Cobb. Audrey Cobb died in 1976. The next year he married his neighbor, Martha Jane Rebsamen,<ref name=bio/> the widow of Raymond Rebsamen, a prominent Little Rock industrialist and philanthropist.<ref>Cobb, p. 157</ref>Shortly before the second marriage, two armed robbers wearing masks broke into Martha Jane's home and locked her, Cobb, and her housekeeper in a closet. The intruders left with Cobb's Cadillac but called police to tell them of the three people trapped in the closet.<ref>Cobb, p. 159</ref>

From the late 1960s until his retirement, Cobb focused on his petroleum and timber interests. In 1938, Cobb married the oil heiress Audrey Umsted, whom he had met while golfing. Her father, Sydney Albert Umsted, had in 1924 drilled the Discovery oil well in the Smackover field but was subsequently mortally injured in a train accident in [[Mississippi]] and died in a hospital in [[Memphis]], Tennessee.<ref>Cobb, pp. 77-78</ref> The Cobbs adopted one son, John Cobb. Audrey Cobb died in 1976. The next year he married his neighbor, Martha Jane Rebsamen,<ref name=bio/> the widow of Raymond Rebsamen, a prominent Little Rock industrialist and philanthropist.<ref>Cobb, p. 157</ref>Shortly before the second marriage, two armed robbers wearing masks broke into Martha Jane's home and locked her, Cobb, and her housekeeper in a closet. The intruders left with Cobb's Cadillac but called police to tell them of the three people trapped in the closet.<ref>Cobb, p. 159</ref>

In 1989 and 1990, with the help of the late journalist-editor Carol Griffee, then of Little Rock, Cobb published two editions of his autobiography entitled ''Osro Cobb of Arkansas: Memoirs of Historical Significance''. He died in Little Rock at the age of ninety-one. His papers were deposited in Special Collections of the Torreyson Library of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.<ref name=bio/>

In 1989 and 1990, with the help of the late journalist-editor Carol Griffee, then of Little Rock, Cobb published two editions of his autobiography entitled ''Osro Cobb of Arkansas: Memoirs of Historical Significance''. He died in Little Rock at the age of ninety-one. His papers were deposited in Special Collections of the Torreyson Library of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.<ref name=bio/>