Lee Cowart

Lee Cowart, attorney at Birmingham, possesses a name familiar throughout Alabama both in law and politics. He is a son of Thomas J. Cowart, a native of South Carolina, who has lived in Winston County, Alabama for the past thirty-two years. Thomas J. Cowart’s occupation is farming, but for several years he served as county superintendent of schools and was quite prominent in educational affairs. He is a Confederate veteran, having served during the Civil War in one of the regiments of his native State. He married Lydia Chastain, and Lee Cowart, their son, was born in Towns County, Georgia, March 26, 1866. As he grew up he attended the Winston County common school and finished at Godfrey high school. Subsequently he entered the University of Alabama and has graduated from the law department with the class of 1886, being the youngest member and standing fifth among his twenty-two classmates. In the same year he was admitted to the bar of Winston County, and practiced there until 1890, when he located in Birmingham. In 1893 he was appointed by Attorney General Olney examiner of accounts for the department of justice. Two years later he resigned to accept an appointment as assistant United States attorney for the northern district of Alabama, which position he gave up shortly after the election of McKinley to the presidency. Mr. Cowart has several times been appointed to assist in the trial of civil and criminal cases in which the United States was interested. From 1887 to 1890 he was county solicitor for Winston County and discharged the duties of that office with painstaking fidelity. During the same period he was chairman of the Democratic executive committee of Winston County and has attended as delegate every State convention of his party from 1886 to 1900. During the sessions of 1888 and 1890 he served as committee clerk in the State Legislature. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, Improved Order of Red Men and the Knights of Pythias. Feb. 14, 1892, he was married to Emily, daughter of Felix G. and Martha (Howell) Spain, of Winston County. They have three sons: Lee, Jr., Emmett and Virgil, and one daughter, Willadene.

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