Cocke, Frederick Bird Smith, 1839-1912

Dates

• Existence: 1839 November 17 - 1912 September 7
• Existence: 1839-11-17 - 1912-09-07

Biographical note

Frederick Bird Smith "Fred" Cocke, Jr. was born on November 17, 1839 in Grainger County, Tennessee to Frederick Bird Smith Cocke, Sr. and Eliza M. (Rogers) Cocke. The Cocke family moved to Texas in September of 1854. During the Civil War, Fred Cocke served in the Texas State Troops under Captains Charles A. Russell and Thomas Rabb. He was eventually promoted to Captain and commanded his own company. Cocke was admitted to the bar in San Antonio in July of 1868 and was a leading attorney in Bexar County, practicing law in San Antonio until 1892. He also served three terms as Bexar County District Attorney. He married Mary E. K. “Kate” Carpenter on June 7, 1870 in Hays County.

Cocke was elected to the House of Representatives of the Texas Legislature and served during the 26th Regular Session (1899) and the 26th 1st Called Session (1900). As the Representative of District 98, he served constituents in Hays, Blanco, Comal, and Gillespie Counties. Cocke introduced House Bill 696, “An Act to provide for establishing, governing and maintaining a State normal school at San Marcos, and to be known as the Southwest Texas Normal School,” on March 3, 1899. Although a report by the Committee on Education was presented to the House recommending the bill pass, no further action was taken by the Speaker of the House on the bill.

It should be noted, the companion bill, Senate Bill 260 of the 26th Regular Session (1899), authored by Senator Joseph Burton Dibrell, Jr., was enrolled and approved on May 10, 1899.

Upon his retirement, Cocke split his time between his residence in Austin and his farm in Kouns, a community once located in southern Travis County. He died on September 7, 1912 and was buried in the Cocke family cemetery in Hays County, Texas.

Sources: Texas Legal Directory for 1876-77; Hays County marriage records vol. A-D, 1848-1886; Confederate muster roll collection, Texas State Library and Archives Commission; San Antonio Express, Vol. 47, No. 253, September 9, 1912; Texas Legislators: Past & Present, Legislative Reference Library; Journal of the House of Representatives of the State of Texas (1899)

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