Thad Cochran

Thad Cochran
United States Senator
from Mississippi
In office
December 27, 1978 – April 1, 2018
Preceded byJames Eastland
Succeeded byCindy Hyde-Smith
Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee
In office
January 3, 2015 – April 1, 2018
Preceded byBarbara Mikulski
Succeeded byRichard Shelby
In office
January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Preceded byTed Stevens
Succeeded byRobert Byrd
Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2005
Preceded byTom Harkin
Succeeded bySaxby Chambliss
Chair of the Senate Republican Conference
In office
January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1997
LeaderBob Dole
Trent Lott
Preceded byJohn Chafee
Succeeded byConnie Mack III
Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference
In office
January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1991
LeaderBob Dole
Preceded byJake Garn
Succeeded byBob Kasten
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 4th district
In office
January 3, 1973 – December 26, 1978
Preceded byCharles H. Griffin (Redistricting)
Succeeded byJon Hinson
Personal details
Born
William Thad Cochran

(1937-12-07)December 7, 1937
Pontotoc, Mississippi, U.S.
DiedMay 30, 2019(2019-05-30) (aged 81)
Oxford, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (1967–2019)
Other political
affiliations
Democratic (before 1967)
Spouses
Rose Clayton
(m. 1964; died 2014)
Kay Webber
(m. 2015)
Children2
EducationUniversity of Mississippi (BA, JD)
Signature
WebsiteSenate website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1959–1961
RankEnsign

William Thad Cochran (/ˈkɒkrən/ KOK-rən; December 7, 1937 – May 30, 2019) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator for Mississippi from 1978 to 2018. A Republican, he previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973 to 1978.

Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Cochran graduated from the University of Mississippi. He served in the United States Navy as an ensign (1959–1961) before graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law. After practicing law for several years in Jackson, Mississippi, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972. He served three terms in the House representing Jackson and portions of southwest Mississippi.

Cochran won a three-way race for U.S. Senate in 1978, becoming the first Republican to win a United States Senate election in Mississippi since Blanche Bruce was elected during Reconstruction.[1] He was re-elected to six terms by wide margins. He was chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee from 2005 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2018. He also chaired the Senate Agriculture Committee from 2003 to 2005. With over 45 years of combined House and Senate service, Cochran is the second longest-serving member of Congress ever from Mississippi, only after former Democratic U.S. Representative Jamie L. Whitten.[2]

Cochran resigned from the Senate due to health issues in April 2018. Cochran died on May 30, 2019 in Oxford, Mississippi.[3]

  1. ^ "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved July 4, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Howard, Anthony (June 21, 2019). "Remembering Senator Thad Cochran 1937 – 2019". wjtv.com. Nexstar Media Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).