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| office2=State Chairman of the<br>Arkansas [[Republican Party]]

| office2=State Chairman of the<br>Arkansas Republican Party

| term_start2=1932  

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'''Osro Cobb''' (May 28, 1904 &ndash; January 18, 1996) was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[lawyer]] who worked to establish the two-party system in the U.S. state of  [[Arkansas]]. He was the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas during the Little Rock Crisis of 1957-1958. He also served a year on the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1966 as a temporary appointee of [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Governor]] [[Orval E. Faubus]].

'''Osro Cobb''' (May 28, 1904 &ndash; January 18, 1996) was a [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[lawyer]] who worked to establish the two-party system in the U.S. state of  [[Arkansas]]. He was the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas during the Little Rock Crisis of 1957–58. He also served a year on the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1966 as a temporary appointee of [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] [[Governor]] [[Orval E. Faubus]].

   

   

==Background==

==Background==

==College years==

==College years==

Because Cobb graduated from high school at the age of sixteen, he enrolled in 1920 at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, formerly known as Arkadelphia Methodist College or as Henderson Brown College. Cobb refers to  Henderson as "a small [[Methodist]] college ideally suited to my needs. It took only a short time for me to establish my identity and to make numberous friends among my fellow students and with faculty members." He lettered in baseball and was a member of the debate team and reports that he was falsely accused of [[plagiarism]] by an English professor regarding an article he wrote about moonshiners in Montgomery County.<ref>Cobb, pp. 10-12.</ref>

Because Cobb graduated from high school at the age of sixteen, he enrolled in 1920 at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, formerly known as Arkadelphia Methodist College or as Henderson Brown College. Cobb refers to  Henderson as "a small [[Methodist]] college ideally suited to my needs. It took only a short time for me to establish my identity and to make numberous friends among my fellow students and with faculty members." He lettered in baseball and was a member of the debate team and reports that he was falsely accused of [[plagiarism]] by an English professor regarding an article he wrote about moonshiners in Montgomery County.<ref>Cobb, pp. 10–12.</ref>

   

   

At Henderson, Cobb became an advocate of two-party competition in the political arena as a potential solution to Arkansas' lagging national standing both politically and economically. He graduated from Henderson in 1925 with two bachelor's degrees.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5693|title=Osro Cobb (1904-1996)|publisher=encyclopediaofarkansas.net|accessdate=May 29, 2012}}</ref> Cobb reports having read:

At Henderson, Cobb became an advocate of two-party competition in the political arena as a potential solution to Arkansas' lagging national standing both politically and economically. He graduated from Henderson in 1925 with two bachelor's degrees.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=5693|title=Osro Cobb (1904-1996)|publisher=encyclopediaofarkansas.net|accessdate=May 29, 2012}}</ref> Cobb reports having read:

(2) In those days, Arkansas was a rock-ribbed, solid, yellow-dog Democrat state. ... political machines were spawned in various counties and they corrupted the elections by any means deemed necessary. .... The Republican Party had to be convinced that it must really work in Arkansas and across the South to help establish a viable, competitive two-party system. There was no chance for Arkansas to move forward until it could become a doubtful state in presidential elections.<ref>Cobb, p. 14.</ref></blockquote>  

(2) In those days, Arkansas was a rock-ribbed, solid, yellow-dog Democrat state. ... political machines were spawned in various counties and they corrupted the elections by any means deemed necessary. .... The Republican Party had to be convinced that it must really work in Arkansas and across the South to help establish a viable, competitive two-party system. There was no chance for Arkansas to move forward until it could become a doubtful state in presidential elections.<ref>Cobb, p. 14.</ref></blockquote>  

Cobb left Henderson for a year when the family lumber mill at Caddo Gap burned—a $100,000 loss. In the summer of 1924, he went to Union County in south Arkansas to work in the oil boom in an office at Norphlet near Smackover. He recalls a bizarre murder case there. A barber in Norphlet offered Cobb some cake that the man's wife had mailed to him from [[Oklahoma]]. The cake was, however, saturated with poison, and the barber quickly died on eating it. On an errand, Cobb delayed eating the cake and later reflected that he "felt the Lord had intervened to take care of me. In fact, I have been spared on several occasions, and I feel there has been a divine protector looking after me."<ref>Cobb, pp. 16-17.</ref>

Cobb left Henderson for a year when the family lumber mill at Caddo Gap burned—a $100,000 loss. In the summer of 1924, he went to Union County in south Arkansas to work in the oil boom in an office at Norphlet near Smackover. He recalls a bizarre murder case there. A barber in Norphlet offered Cobb some cake that the man's wife had mailed to him from [[Oklahoma]]. The cake was, however, saturated with poison, and the barber quickly died on eating it. On an errand, Cobb delayed eating the cake and later reflected that he "felt the Lord had intervened to take care of me. In fact, I have been spared on several occasions, and I feel there has been a divine protector looking after me."<ref>Cobb, pp. 16–17.</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>

Late in 1965, Faubus asked Cobb to fill a vacancy on the Arkansas Supreme Court after Justice Sam Robinson retired. On January 11, 1966, Cobb took the position and served for the remainder of the year.<ref name=bio/> Politically, Cobb's Republican activities paralleled the career of [[Wallace Townsend]], an [[Iowa]] native who served as Arkansas's Republican national committeeman from 1928 to 1961.  

Late in 1965, Faubus asked Cobb to fill a vacancy on the Arkansas Supreme Court after Justice Sam Robinson retired. On January 11, 1966, Cobb took the position and served for the remainder of the year.<ref name=bio/> Politically, Cobb's Republican activities paralleled the career of [[Wallace Townsend]], an [[Iowa]] native who served as Arkansas's Republican national committeeman from 1928 to 1961.  

In 1964, Cobb refused to support Republican [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] for governor and instead endorsed Faubus who won his sixth and final two-year term. At the time, Cobb said that Rockefeller, a businessman originally from [[New York]], had ignored the traditional Republican base in Arkansas. In his memoirs, Cobb reported that "A stranger passing through Arkansas at this time and seeing Mr. Rockefeller's advertising on billboards would not know whether Mr. Rockefeller belonged to any political party. Certainly the fact that he is the Republican nominee has not been included. The evidence simply is unanswerable that Mr. Rockefeller is working for his own personal interest to the exclusion of all other considerations, which leaves the Republican Party in Arkansas hanging precariously at the whims of one individual."<ref>Cobb, pp. 141-143.</ref>

In 1964, Cobb refused to support Republican [[Winthrop Rockefeller]] for governor and instead endorsed Faubus who won his sixth and final two-year term. At the time, Cobb said that Rockefeller, a businessman originally from [[New York]], had ignored the traditional Republican base in Arkansas. In his memoirs, Cobb reported that "A stranger passing through Arkansas at this time and seeing Mr. Rockefeller's advertising on billboards would not know whether Mr. Rockefeller belonged to any political party. Certainly the fact that he is the Republican nominee has not been included. The evidence simply is unanswerable that Mr. Rockefeller is working for his own personal interest to the exclusion of all other considerations, which leaves the Republican Party in Arkansas hanging precariously at the whims of one individual."<ref>Cobb, pp. 141–43.</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>

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.143–44.</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/>