Checotah numbers among her representative citizens John T. Cooper, attorney at law with offices in the Peoples National Bank building. He is a southerner by birth, born in Scottsboro, Jackson county, Alabama, on the 7th of August, 1881, a son of Abe and Julia (Anderson) Cooper, both natives of that state. The father engaged in agriculture in Alabama until 1894, in which year he removed to Indian Territory and located at Sallisaw. He engaged in farming there for three years and subsequently came to McIntosh County. He became one of the prominent and successful agriculturists of this community. He is now living retired, enjoying well earned rest, at the age of seventy years. Mrs. Cooper died in 1897.
John T. Cooper received his early education in the public schools of Alabama, removing to Indian Territory with his parents at the age of eleven years. He completed his preliminary education in the public schools of Sallisaw and later entered Harrell Institute, now the Spaulding Institute, at Muskogee. In due time he was graduated from that school and for the next eight years was engaged in educational work. During that time he studied law by correspondence and he was admitted to the bar in 1915, in which year be came to Checotah, where he has since practiced.
For more than six years he has had offices in the Peoples National Bank building. Since his admission to the bar Mr. Cooper has remained a constant student of the profession and in 1917 he took postgraduate work at the Oklahoma City University, which institution conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He has built up an extensive and lucrative clientage and handles much important litigation before the courts.
In addition to his law practice Mr. Cooper was a dominant factor in the organization of the Premier Oil & Gas Company, in which he is now a stockholder and was formerly secretary.
On August 26th, 1908, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cooper to Miss Laura G. (Robinson) Walker, and to their union five children have been born: James Walter, Katie M., John Kenneth Turner, Loraine Laura, and Juanita.
For many years Mr. Cooper was a stanch supporter of the Socialist Party and he has been a candidate on that party’s ticket for congress and county attorney. He is now a Democrat. He is a consistent advocate of organized labor and has lectured in that connection throughout the state. He was a dominant factor in the organization of the Smeltermen’s Union, which body was later disbanded upon the shutting down of the smelter.
The religious faith of Mr. Cooper and his wife is that of the Christian Church. He is an alert and enterprising citizen and although heavy demands are made upon his time by his law practice, his aid may always be counted upon in the furtherance of any movement for the development and improvement of the community.