Cooper Green
W. Cooper Green (born 1900 in Birmingham) served three terms in the Alabama Legislature, presided over the Birmingham Post Office for seven years, and served as President of the Birmingham City Commission from 1940 to 1953.
Green was born in Birmingham to ____, a developer who built a number of houses in Birmingham and Tarrant City. He went to work in Kentucky's oil fields after graduating high school.
Green returned to Birmingham in 1919 to enroll in Birmingham-Southern College where he was a star on the baseball team. In 1920 he married Hattie Lee Taylor and graduated in 1922 and later was elected president of the Alumni Association. He took a teaching position at Marbury High School in Autauga County and coached the football team there for a year. In 1923 he returned to Birmingham and sold sporting goods at Loveman, Joseph & Loeb's downtown store. The year after that he was hired as a salesman for Glen Iris Dairies. He also worked in real estate and as an insurance broker and took night courses in law at Southern.
Green was appointed Postmaster of Birmingham on the recommendation of then Senator Hugo Black on May 1, 1933. He resigned in February 1940 to seek election to the unexpired term of Commissioner Jimmy Jones who died in office. He was the first candidate to enter the whirlwind race.
Green took office on February 29, 1940, He was re-elected on October 13, 1941 for a full four-year term, and won subsequent re-election campaigns in 1945 and 1949, the last victory coming by a record margin.
Green resigned from the City Commission in April, 1953. seven months before the end of his term, to become a vice president of the Alabama Power Company. The timing of the resignation allowed for candidates to step forward for the May 5 primary. At the time there were volunteers in each of Alabama's counties organizing to draft him into the campaign for Governor, though he had never publicly stated an intention to run.
Green was a member of the Shriner's Club, Civitan Club, Knights of Pythias and the Tarrant Commercial Club. As Mayor he won the presidency of the United States Conference of Mayors (1949-50) and the Alabama League of Municipalities (1950-53). He served the United States Department of State in 1947-50 as an appointed representative to a commission to study post-war urban development in Europe and at celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Helsinki. The King of Norway made him a Knight of St Olaf in 1950.
| Preceded by: ' |
Postmaster of Birmingham 1933 - 1940 |
Succeeded by: Arthur H. Allbright (temporary) |
| Preceded by: Jimmie M. Jones, Jr. |
President, Birmingham City Commission 1940 - 1953 |
Succeeded by: J. W. Morgan |
References
- Bonner, Clint (July 9, 1933) "How He Got There - W. Cooper Green". (Illustrated feature) Birmingham News Age-Herald.
- Cobb, Dan (February 15, 1953) "Action timed to allow May 5 vote on successor." Birmingham News.