William Allen Cochrane Obituary

2:03 PMA DEATH OF DR. W. A. COCHRAN. Another old citizen has passed away. Dr. W. A. Cochran calmly and peace fully breathed his last at his residence in this city on yesterday at 11:30 a. m. For some months past be has been in declining health and during the past few days the indications were that the end was rapidly approaching. In his death Tuskaloosa loses her oldest citizen, as we have no doubt, that while he was not the oldest man in point of years, yet we believe that he has lived in this city a longer period of years than any other present citizen. He was born in Hall county Georgia on the 25th day of January 1817, and was brought to Tuskaloosa the same year and he has lived here ever since. He was trained in the local schools of this town until he reached his thirteenth year, at which time the University of Alabama, was thrown open for the reception of students, and be appeared on the ground with about thirty-five other boys, on the first day, an applicant for admission. Although the youngest of the applicants, he passed a good examination and was readily admitted. He graduated in the class of 1834, and had his diploma in his pocket at the age of sixteen years, being perhape the youngest graduate who ever left the University. While not considered brilliant, he always held a foremost rank in his class during his college days. After leaving college he studied medicine, devoting himself to the pursuit of his profession with that same unsiring zeal and energy that characterized him through life. Judge Wm. R. Smith is his book, “Reminiscence” written in 1889, say of him among other things: “It is believed that the only period of time he ever spent outside of the limits of the city of Tuskaloosa were the winters he passed in Philadelphia attending the medical lectures. This unbroken citizenship of seventy years, seems almost amazing when we consider the floating nature of the Southern people. Seventy years in one city.” Yes, seventy-four years in one city, and during that long period he has enjoyed the unbroken respect and confidence of this people. As a physician he occupied the front rank in his profession and his solid merit and rugged honesty was recognized by all. He was not given to compliments, and his candid and possibly too blunt manner to some extent may have detracted from his popularity, in the ordinary meaning of that term. However, there was a charm even in his peculiarities, and he always had a large and wide circle of friends. He was indeed a nobleman of nature-an honest man; and through- out his long life, he illustrated that character in all of life’s relations. He was for many years during the latter part of his life the secretary of the board of trustees of the University, and at the time of his death was “the last survivor excepting one of the first class of University boys.” Now he has “crossed over the river, to join the comrades who had gone before. One by one, the old landmarks are rapidly pasaing away. Many friends and relatives will mourn his decease. The funeral services will take place at Christ Church this evening at 4 o’ clock, after which the remains will be laid to rest in Evergreen cemetery.