Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/312

 COBURN

COCHRAN

author of the act of congress establishing the mil- itary prison at Fort Leavenworth, and of llie acts that provided for permanent headstones for soldiers" graves and for the publication of tie rebellion records. He reported and carrieil through the house a bill to prevent the promotion of an J' officer in the army addicted to the habitual intemperate use of liquors or drugs. It is claimed that the bill failed in the senate owing to the influence of prominent army officers. On Feb. 19, 1884, he was appointed by President Arthur justice of the supreme court of Montana Territory and held the office till December, 1885. He then returned to Indianapolis where he continued his law practice, declining any further political or judicial office.

COBURN, Stephen, lawyer, was born in Skow- hegan, Manie, in 1818; son of Eleazer and Mary (Weston) Coburn, and brother of Abner Coburn. He graduated at Waterville in 1839, and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He practised his profession at Skowhegan and was a member of the Maine board of education, 1849-52. Upon the resignation of Representative Israel Wash- burne, Jr., in 1861, Mr. Coburn was elected to fill the unexpn-ed term in the 36th congress, serving from Jan. 2 to March 3, 1861, after which he resumed the practice of his profession. He was drowned at Skowhegan, Maine, July 4, 1882.

COCHRAN, Charles Fremont, representa- tive, was born in Kirksville. Mo., Sept. 27, 1848. He removed to Atchison, Kan., in 1860, and there acquired his education in the common scliools. He was admitted to the bar and engaged in the practice of law and also in newspaper work. He was prosecuting attorney of Atchison county, Kan., and returned to Missouri in 1885, settling in St. Joseph. He was a state senator and a Democratic reiDresentative in congress from 1897 to 1905.

COCHRAN, David Henry, educator, was born in Springville, N.Y., July 5, 1828; son of Samuel and Catharine (Gallup) Cochran; grandson of Samuel Cochran, and a descendant of a Scotch refugee who settled in Londonderr}', Ireland, and thence emigrated to Vermont, U.S.A. He was from the gi-eat Scotch clan which Dundonald and Admiral Cochran of the British navy have made famous. Catharine Gallup was a descend- ant, on the maternal side, of a Huguenot ref- ugee, who met Cochran on sliipboard. After arrival in America they were married and located in northern Vermont. David was graduated at Hamilton college A.B. 1850, A.M. 18.53, and was a teacher m the Clinton liberal institute, 1850-51. He was afterward principal of the Fredonia academy, 1852-54; professor of natural sciences in the New York state normal college, Albany, 1854-55; and president of that institution from

1855 until 1864, when he accepted the presidency of tiie Brooklyn collegiate and polytechnic insti- tute. As the head of the state normal college h& made extended mineral reseai'ches throughout the far west and into the northwestern British provinces. He also visited Europe in 1862 to study educa- tional methods and reported his observa- tions to the executive committee of the nor- mal school. His suc- cess as an educator was illustrated in the rapid and permanent growth of the Brook- lyn collegiate and polytechnic institute. y '

which was incorpora- o(j/y^f;^crcm^t,ct'U^. ted as an academy in

1854, enlarged into a college of technical and liberal arts in 1870 and chartered and incorpo- rated as the Polytechnic institute of Brooklyn in 1889. In ls,')6-97 it included the academy with six-year preparatory course; the institute with technical and collegiate courses with degrees B.A. and B.S., and a post-graduate year for degrees of Civil and of Electrical Engineer. The reference and study librarj' embraced over 10,000 volumes. The Institute had fifty instructors and 719 students. Dr. Cochran was the originator of the plan of regents' examinations, adopted by the University of the state of New York, having at the request of Dr. Woolworth, secretary of the board, drawn up the same and presented it to Chancellor Pruyn. At one period over one thousand of his former pupils were engaged in teaching. He resigned the presidencj' of the Polytechnic institute of Brookh-n in March, 1899. The regents of the University of the state of New York conferred on him the degree of Ph.D. in 1862, and Hamilton college, of which he was a trustee from 18^5, gave him the degree of LL.D. in 1869.

COCHRAN, James, representative, was bora in Oswego, N.Y"., Feb. 11, 1769; son of Dr. John and Gertrude (Schuyler) Cochran; and grandson, of James Cochran and of Johannes Schuyler. His mother was a widow of Peter Schuyler and- was married to Dr. John Cochran, Dec. 4, 1760. He was appointed a regent of the University of the state of New York Feb. 18, 1796, resigning in 1820; was a representative in the 5th U.S. con- gress, 1797-99; state senator, 1814-17; postmaster of Oswego from Sept. 27, 1841, to July 21, 1845; and a major of militia. He was married to Catherine Van Rensselaer, daughter of Gen. Philip Schuyler. He died in Oswego, N. Y., Nov. 7, 1848.