Thomas W. Cobb
Thomas Willis Cobb was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative, United States Senator, and a judge in the Georgia State Superior Court. He was a prominent figure in Georgia politics during the aftermath of the Revolutionary War and played a role in the early development of the state's political institutions. Cobb County is named in his honor.
Early life and education
Thomas Cobb was born sometime in 1784 in Columbia County, Georgia. He was a cousin of Howell Cobb, a Confederate General and Congressman, and Thomas R.R. Cobb, Confederate States Army Officer. Early on, he pursued preparatory studies and was admitted into the bar, eventually studying with William H. Crawford in [Lexington, Georgia|Lexington, Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia.]Professional life
Thomas Cobb moved to Greensboro, Georgia, and was elected to the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses. He was unsuccessful in being elected into the Seventeenth Congress, but was elected to the Eighteenth Congress. When Nicholas Ware, a U.S. Senator representing Georgia, died in September of 1824, an election was held to replace the vacant spot and Thomas Cobb was elected. This meant he had to resign from his position as a representative. During this time, he served as a chairman of the Committee on Public Expenditures. He was affiliated with the Democratic-Republican Party and later aligned with Jacksonian Democrats.He worked in the Senate from December of 1824 until his resignation in 1828. The press announced that he would "probably resign" in August 1828. His successor, Oliver H. Prince, took office in November of 1828. He later became a judge in the Superior Court of Georgia.