PUBLIC "-//Virginia Military Institute::Preston Library::Archives//TEXT (US::ViLxV::vilxv00054::A Guide to the John L. Cochran Papers)//EN" "vilxv00054.xml" A Guide to the John L. Cochran Papers, 1879-1885 Cochran, John L., Papers mss 00025 Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Virginia Military Institute Archives © 2002 Virginia Military Institute

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Machine-readable finding aid derived from Microsoft Access 2000 database. Machine-readable finding aid created by Diane Jacob. Date of source: 2002 Description is in English Feb 16, 2004 PUBLIC "-//Virginia Military Institute::Preston Library::Archives//TEXT (US::ViLxV::vilxv00054::A Guide to the John L. Cochran Papers)//EN" "vilxv00054.xml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Feb 26, 2004 converted to conform to eadVIVA.dtd by vivastrict.xsl 2013-11-21 Converted to schema conforming EAD by dtd2schema.vh.xsl. A Guide to the John L. Cochran Papers, 1879-1885 A Collection in Virginia Military Institute Archives mss 00025

Virginia Military Institute Archives 2002 Virginia Military Institute Archives Staff Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Archives, Preston Library, Virginia Military Institute Descriptive Summary Archives, Preston Library, Virginia Military Institute John L. Cochran Papers 1879-1885 mss 00025 The collection consists of 7 items. English Administrative Information Access

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 Preferred Citation

John L. Cochran Papers, mss 00025, Virginia Military Institute Archives, Lexington, Virginia.

 Biographical/Historical Information

John Lynn Cochran was born at "Folly Farm" in Augusta County, Virginia on November 9, 1863. His parents were James C. Cochran and Elizabeth Brooke. He attended the Virginia Military Institute during the period 1879-1881, and subsequently attended Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania), from which he graduated in 1883. In the fall of 1883 he enrolled at the University of Virginia, where he became ill with typhoid fever. Cochran never regained his health and he died at "Folly Farm" on January 22, 1887.

 Scope and Content Information

The John L. Cochran Papers consist of a report card (1879) from the secondary school Cochran attended before entering the Virginia Military Institute; one letter (September 4, 1880) from VMI Cadet Cochran to his mother; a diary, with sketches (1881), containing short and sporadic entries made while he was a student at the Virginia Military Institute and concerning various aspects of cadet life; and four volumes of class notes (1882-1885) taken while Cochran was a student at Swarthmore College and the University of Virginia, with some examples of poetry and sketches interspersed.

 Contents List Secondary school grade report, May 1, 1879

From the private school held as his home, "Folly Farm." Lists marks in various subjects; "highest average in school"

 Letter to "Dear Ma," 1880 September 4

Written from the Virginia Military Institute. "I am very well satisfied....There are a good many rats [first year cadets] here and as you asked me not to I have not been treating them badly."

 Diary, 1881

Includes sporadic and brief entries, dating primarily from early 1881 when he was enrolled at the Virginia Military Institute. Mentions various school events; also includes small pen & ink sketches and doodles.

 Class notes and exercises, 1882-1885 4 bound volumes and misc. unbound sheets.

Dating from Cochran's years at Swarthmore and the University of Virginia. Subjects include philosophy, mineralogy, engineering. Some watercolor sketches and poetry interspersed.