Representative Dale M. Cochran View All Years

DALE M. COCHRAN

Dale M. Cochran was born November 20, 1928, in Fort Dodge to Melvin and Gladys Cochran. He graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1946. In 1953 he married Jeannene Hirsch in Ankeny and their union created three children.

He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in agriculture in 1950, and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. After graduation he took a job in Newton serving as director of the Jasper County Extension office. Shortly after marriage, he and Jeannene moved to the family farm near Vincent where he worked in partnership with his father. He farmed over the next 40 years even while holding several political positions.

During his service he served on many boards and commissions. He served on the executive committee of the National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) and Council of State Governments. He was honored as a “Friend of Agriculture” by the National Agri Marking Association, received an honorary lifetime membership in the Iowa Association of Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners and received the FFA Distinguished Service Award.

Dale was a Democrat from Webster County. He was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in the fall of 1964, serving for eleven terms. During his time he served on the following committees: Appropriations, Agriculture (Chair), Governmental Affairs, Board of Control, Government Reorganization, Higher Education, Human and Industrial Relations, Tax Revision, State Planning and Development, Rules, Transportation, and Ways and Means. He served as the House Minority Leader from 1971-1974, Assistant Minority Leader from 1981-1982 and as the Speaker of the House from 1975-1979. In 1986 he was elected Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and served

three terms before retiring from that position in 1999.

Representative Cochran passed away on August 27, 2018, at the age of 89.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA, That in the passing of the Honorable Dale M. Cochran, the State has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and the House by this Resolution would express its appreciation of his service.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

ANN MEYER

JOHN FORBES

ROBERT BACON

Committee