M96-11 – OSRO COBB COLLECTION

Osro Cobb (1904-1995) was a prominent Arkansas lawyer and a leader in the State Republican Party.  He held the position of State Chairman of the Republican party for many years and is credited with helping to establish the two-party system in Arkansas.  He served as U.S. Attorney for the District during the 1957 Little Rock School Integration Crisis.  Cobb was a former State Representative from Montgomery County and candidate for governor in 1936.  He joined the Army Air Corps during WWII and was discharged with the rank of lieutenant colonel.  He was appointed By Gov. Orval Faubus to serve on the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1966, a unique honor in that he was the first Republican to occupy a position on that court since 1874.

Cobb married Audrey Umsted in 1938 and became heavily involved in the oil business.  The couple adopted one son, John Cobb, who is also a lawyer.  Cobb later married Mary Jane Rebsamen after his first wife’s death.

Cobb’s main interests seem to have been politics and oil.  He published the first edition of his autobiography Osro Cobb of Arkansas:  Memoirs of Historical Significance in 1989.  A second printing entitled Osro Cobb of Arkansas: Pathways to a Greater Future was released in 1990.  The book is divided into two parts:  an autobiographical sketch of Cobb’s life and achievements and a detailed account of the Little Rock Integration Crisis.

 

Box 1

File 1 – Biographical Information

File 2 – Military, 1942-1943 and undated

File 3 – Personal Information Regarding Last Will

File 4 – Governor Orval E. Faubus

File 5 – Miscellaneous Legislation

File 6 – Hoxie School District, vs. White America, Inc., 1955-1956

File 7 – Little Rock School Integration – Aaron et al vs. Cooper et al – Petitions, Motions, Orders etc. 1957-1961 and undated

File 8 – Little Rock School Integration – Aaron et al Cooper et al vs. Cooper et al – Transcripts and Memoranda, 1957

File 9 – Little Rock School Integration – Aaron et al vs. Cooper et al – Undated Excerpts and Exhibits

File 10- Miscellaneous Correspondence and Information Pertaining to Little Rock School Integration, 1955-1990 and undated

File 11- Unpublished Manuscript (Materials 1-15)

File 12- Unpublished Manuscript (Materials 16-25)

File 13- Unpublished Manuscript (Materials 26-end)

File 14- Unpublished Manuscript Work File

File 15- Correspondence Regarding Unpublished Manuscript, 1961-1966

File 16- Osro Cobb of Arkansas:  Pathways to a Greater Future, 1990

File 17- Osro Cobb or Arkansas: Pathways to a Greater Future Work File

File 18- Correspondence Concerning Osro Cobb of Arkansas 1st and 2nd Printing, Oct.1988-Oct. 1989

File 19- Correspondence Concerning Osro Cobb of Arkansas 1st and 2nd Printing, Nov. 1989-Jan. 1990

File 20- Correspondence Concerning Osro Cobb of Arkansas 1st and 2nd Printing, Feb. 1990-Dec. 1994 and undated

File 21- Information Concerning Osro Cobb of Arkansas:  Pathways to a Greater Future, 1988-1992 and undated

File 22- Mailing Lists for Osro Cobb of Arkansas:  Pathways to a Greater Future

File 23- Miscellaneous Materials Authored by Osro Cobb

End of Box 1

 

Box 2

File 1 – Unsigned manuscript

File 2 – Troutdale Hotel

File 3 – Cobb’s Endorsements of Candidates for District Attorney, 1952-1953

File 4 – Correspondence Concerning Appointment as U. S. District Attorney, 1953-1956 and undated

File 5 – Correspondence Concerning Service as District Attorney, 1954-1962 and undated

File 6 – District Attorney Reports, 1954 and 1959

File 7 – Correspondence Concerning Failed Appointment to Federal Judgeship, 1953-1956

File 8 –Correspondence Concerning Failed Appointment to Federal Judgeship, 1957-1961 and undated

File 9 – Correspondence Regarding Political Appointments to Arkansas Supreme Court Including Associate Justiceship in 1966, 1957-1967

File 10- Correspondence Concerning Omnibus Judgeship Bill, 1957-1960

File 11- Correspondence Concerning Professional Rating, 1954, 1957-1958

File 12- Business Correspondence and Records, 1966-1991

File 13- Correspondence and Information Pertaining to Cobb’s Health 1962 and 1971

File 14- Policital/Government Correspondence and Republican Party Involvement, 1930-1967

File 15- Political /Government Correspondence and Republican Party Involvement, 1981-1995 and undated

File 16- Miscellaneous Personal Correspondence, 1953-1975 and undated

File 17- Miscellaneous Personal Correspondence, 1980-1994 and undated

File 18- Legal Documents and Correspondence Concerning Guardianship of Marvin Umsted

File 19- Financial Records and Correspondence Concerning Marvin Umsted, 1959-1969 and undated

File 20- Legal Documents and Oil Lease Information of Sid Umsted’s Estate – R.P. Becker, Administrator, 1966-1972 and undated

File 21- Sid Umsted Estate Financial Records – R.P. Becker, Administrator, 1967-1972 and undated

File 22- Correspondence Concerning Sid Umsted Estate – R.P. Becker, Administrator, 1966-1972

File 23- Montgomery County Fraud Allegation, 1991

File 24- Crittendon County Election Fraud, 1957-1958

File 25- Alleged Election Irregularities, 1958-1959 and undated

File 26- Burrow Construction Co. vs. Langley, 1960-1976

File 27- Maxwell vs. State, 1963 and undated

File 28- Opinions – Judge Cobb, Jan.-June, 1966

File 29- Opinions – Judge Cobb, Sept.-Dec., 1966 and undated

File 30- Roberson vs. Harris, McFaddin, and Ward undated

File 31- Arkansas Workmen’s Compensation Commission, 1966

File 32- Arkansas and American Bar Association, 1966-1972 and undated

File 33- Constitutional Revision, 1967

End of Box 2

 

Box 3

File 1 – Oil Correspondence and Information, 1922-1964

File 2 – Oil Correspondence and Information, 1965-1970

File 3 – Oil Correspondence and Information, 1971-1976

File 4 – Oil Correspondence and Information, 1977

File 5 – Oil Correspondence and Information, 1978

File 6 – Oil Correspondence and Information, Jan.-March 1979

File 7 – Oil Correspondence and Information, April-May 1979

File 8 – Oil Correspondence and Information, June-July 1979

File 9 – Oil Correspondence and Information, August, 1979

File 10-Oil Correspondence and Information, Sept.-Dec. 1979

File 11-Oil Correspondence and Information, 1979 and undated

File 12-Oil Correspondence and Information, Jan.-May, 1980

File 13-Oil Correspondence and Information, June-Dec. 1980 and undated

File 14-Oil Correspondence and Information, 1981

File 15-Oil Correspondence Information, 1982

File 16-Oil Correspondence and Information, Feb.-May, 1983

End of Box 3

 

Box 4

File 1 – Oil Correspondence and Information, June 2-June 16, 1983

File 2 – Oil Correspondence and Information, June 27-Dec. 15, 1983 and undated

File 3 – Oil Correspondence and Information, 1984-1994

File 4 – Oil Correspondence and Information, undated

File 5 – Administrative Record – Vol. I:  Osro Cobb Case No. DEE-0354, 1977-1979

File 6 – Administrative Record – Vol. II: Osro Cobb Case No. DEE-0354, 1977-1978

File 7 –Administrative Record – Vol. III: Osro Cobb Case No. DEE-0354, 1978-1979

File 8 – Materials Submitted by Cobb – Case No. DEE-0354, 1977-1979

File 9 – Pleadings and Orders FERC Appeal:  Case No. DEE-0354, Docket No. RA79-18 1979-1980

File 10- FERC Appeal – Pleading File, 1979-1980

File 11- Pleadings and Orders – FERC Appeal, 1979-1980

File 12- Miscellaneous

File 13- Newsclippings, 1934-1943 and undated

File 14- Newsclippings, Oct. and Nov. 1936

File 15- Photographs

File 16- Photographs

File 17- Photographs

End of Box 4

 

Box 5

Item 1 – Attorney’s License, July 8, 1929

Item 2 – Little Rock Lions Club Photo, June 27, 1934

Item 3 – Political Cartoon

Item 4 – Picture of William P. Rogers

Item 5 – Army Air Corps Group Picture

Item 6 – Army Air Corps Group Picture

Item 7 – Certificate of Supreme Court, June 8, 1953

Item 8 – Certificate of Appointment for District Attorney, Dec. 2, 1953

Item 9 –Certificate of Appointment to District Attorney, March 6, 1954

Item 10- Photo of Various Officials of the U.S. Justice Department, c. 1960

Item 11- Painting of John Cobb and Dog

Item 12- Picture of Osro Cobb, c. 1936

Item 13- Picture of Osro Cobb, ca. 1966

Item 14- Political Cartoon, 1953

Item 15- Political Cartoon, ca. 1952

Item 16- Group, Greater Little Rock Bar, 1947

End of Box 5

End of Collection