Robert LeRoy Cochran was a Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 best known for being the 24th Governor

Governor of Nebraska

The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...

 of Nebraska.

Biography

Robert Leroy Cochran was born in Avoca, Nebraska

Avoca, Nebraska

Avoca is a village in Cass County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 270 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Avoca is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....

. He served in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, then ran for governor of Nebraska and won in 1934, defeating the Republican candidate, Dwight Griswold

Dwight Griswold

Dwight Palmer Griswold was an American politician who served as the 25th Governor of Nebraska from 1940 to 1946 and U.S. Senator from 1952 to 1954. He was a Republican.-Biography:...

, by 17,388 votes (50,8% to 47.7%). He was re-elected in 1936, again defeating Griswold, this time by 55.9% to 43.1%. In 1938 he was elected for a third term as Governor, defeating the Republican candidate, Charles J. Warner, by 44% to 40.6%; a third candidate, Charles W. Bryan

Charles W. Bryan

Charles Wayland Bryan was the younger brother of perennial U.S. Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, with whom he shares the distinction of being the only set of brothers to be nominated for national office by a major party.-Biography:Born in 1867 in Salem, Illinois, Bryan...

, received 15.4% of the vote. In 1940 he ran unsuccessfully for Nebraska senator, losing to Hugh Butler by 57% to 41.5%.

He served as a colonel in the U.S. Army during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

He was a member of the Episcopal Church, a Freemason, Knight Templar, Shriner, and member of Alpha Tau Omega

Alpha Tau Omega

Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...

.