Cousins, Robert Bartow, Sr., 1861-1932

Robert Bartow Cousins (1861-1932), named by his Confederate Army surgeon father for Gen. Francis Bartow, lived in near-poverty for most of his childhood. His family’s farm in Fayetteville, Georgia lay in the path of William Sherman’s March to the Sea. His mother taught an informal school in their backyard for her son and many of the local area children.

Cousins decided early on to become a teacher. He attended the University of George and later studied law in a Florida attorney’s office, passing the bar in Atlanta. He soon moved to Longview, Texas. He served as the Mineola and Mexia school superintendent, gaining a statewide reputation as an effective administrator. He served as president of the Texas State Teachers Association and also served as an assistant to John L. Wortham in the business office of the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville.

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