Thomas Valentine Cooper
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Delaware County
In office
1870–1871
Preceded byAugustus B. Leedom[1]
Succeeded byTyron Lewis
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Delaware County
In office
1872–1873
Preceded byTyron Lewis
Succeeded byOrson Flagg Bullard
Pennsylvania State Senate, 5th district
In office
1873–1874
Preceded byWilliam B. Waddell
Succeeded byJohn Edgar Reyburn
Pennsylvania State Senate, 9th district
In office
1875–1888
Preceded byWilliam M. Randall
Succeeded byJohn Buchanan Robinson
Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Delaware County
In office
1901–1909
Preceded byThomas Henry Garvin
Succeeded byWilliam D. Jones Jr.
Personal details
BornJanuary 16, 1835
Cadiz, Ohio, U.S.
DiedDecember 19, 1909
Media, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Resting placeMedia Cemetery, Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAda F. Cooper
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Years of service1861–1864
Rank1st lieutenant
Commands26th Pennsylvania Infantry
Battles/wars

Thomas Valentine Cooper (January 16, 1835 - December 19, 1909) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County for the 1870 and 1872 terms. Cooper served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for district 5 from 1873 to 1874 and for district 9 from 1875 to 1889. He was reelected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1901 and served until his death in 1909.[2]

Cooper served as a private and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, was a newspaper editor of the Delaware County American newspaper for 54 years and an author of books on political and civil war history.

Early life and military service

Cooper was born in Cadiz, Ohio, to Dr. J.W. and Henrietta (Fields) Cooper.[3]

From 1861 to 1864, Cooper served in the Union Army during the Civil War for three years as a private in Company C, 26th Pennsylvania Infantry and for three months as first lieutenant in the 4th Pennsylvania Reserve Regiment.[4] He served in 13 engagements during the war including Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House.[5]

Career

In 1855, Cooper founded the Media Advertiser newspaper. In 1856, the name was changed to the Media Advertiser and Delaware County American and again in 1859 to the Delaware County American.[3]

Cooper served as a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago, Illinois and had a pivotal role in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln.[5]

In 1865, Cooper received an appointment from the Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, as director of government printing. He became the publisher of the Soldier's Journal but turned down a permanent appointment as director of the Bureau of Military Printing.[6]

In 1869, Cooper was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County and was defeated in 1871 and reelected in 1872. The following year, Cooper was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate and was reelected continuously until 1889. In 1878, he was president of the Senate.

In 1889, Cooper was appointed by President Benjamin Harrison as collector of the Port of Philadelphia, and in 1900, he was elected again to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County and served until his death in 1909.[3]

Personal life

In 1858, Cooper married Ada F. Turner and together they had six children.[3]

Cooper was a member of the George W. Bartram Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons and of the Bradbury Post, Grand Army of the Republic.[3]

Cooper died in his home in a fire started by his own cigar[5] and was interred at Media Cemetery in Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.[2]

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Wiley, Samuel T. (1894). Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Delaware County Pennsylvania. New York: Gresham Publishing Company. pp. 92-93. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Pennsylvania House of Representatives - Thomas Valentine Cooper". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jordan, John W. (1914). A History of Delaware County Pennsylvania and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 683–685. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Smull, John Augustus (1909). Smull's Legislative Hand Book and Manual of the State of Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Harrisburg Publishing Company. p. 926. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Senator Thomas Valentine Cooper". www.alanehunter.com. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "Pennsylvania State Senate - Thomas Valentine Cooper". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
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