"Walter L.Cohen Sr." (January 22,1860-December 29,1930)

Was an African American Republican politician and businessman Louisiana.

The New Orleans native was the son of Bernard Cohen and the former Amelia Bingaman.Like his better-known compatriot Homer Adolph Plessy,Walter was a free African American prior to passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.He noted that he was of the most-hated ethnic group and  most hated religious group by the resurging Ku Klux Klan.

Educated in New Orleans,he was married to the former Antonia Manade,
.and the couple had three children:Walter Cohen,Jr.,Bernard J.Cohen,Margot C.Farrell.

Walter's political activity mushroomed in the 1890's,after the Reconstruction era,when he became one of the few African Americans to hold appointed office into the 20th century.U.S.President William McKinley named Walter a customs inspector in New Orleans.William's successor,Theodore Roosevelt,appointed him register of the federal land office.(Louisiana at the time elected a register of state lands,among them the first woman in statewide elected office in the 20 century,Lucille May Grace.)

Even when the African American-dominated Black and Tan faction lost power after 1912 to the Lily-White Movement within the Republician Party,Walter obtained the position of comptroller of customs by appointment from President Warren G.Harding.He succeeded A.W.Newlin as comptroller of customs.The New York Times referred to the office as "one of the most lucrative federal offices in the U.S.South Warren's successor,Calvin Coolidge,renewed Walter's appointment.Though he had been a delegate to all Republician National Conventions between 1896 & 1924,Walter was later ousted as secretary of the now 144-member Louisiana State Republician Central Committee and instead headed a dissenting group.In 1928,Walter favored U.S.Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas for the Republician presidential nomination,but the party selection went nearly unanimously to Herbert Hoover,the outgoing secretary of commerce.Charles then became the GOP vice presidential nominee.In 1928,Calvin offered Walter the position of minister to Liberia,but he declined the offer.

A successful businessman,John was the founder and president of the People's Life Insurance Company in New Orleans,a large industrial company whose clients were African Americans.Walter was a member of Corpus Christi catholic church in New Orleans.He died in New Orleans and is interred there at St.Louis Cemetery III,2022 Saint Bernard Avenue.