OSRO COBB PAPERS
M96-11
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
File10-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File 11-Unpublished Manuscript (Materials 1-15)
File 12-Unpublished Manuscript (Materials 16-25)
File 13-Unpublished Manuscript (Materials 26-end)
File 14-Unpublished Manuscript Work File
File 15- Correspondence Regarding Unpublished Manuscript, 1961-1966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
File11-Pleadings and Orders – FERC Appeal, 1979-1980
File12-Miscellaneous
File 13-Newsclippings, 1934-1943 and undated
File14-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