WILLIAM HORNER COCKE 

Served as Camp Commander beginning in 1910. He was born in City Point, Virginia on September 12th, 1874, and was the son of Henry Teller and Elizabeth (Horner) Cocke. He was educated in the Staunton, Virginia Public Schools, and the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia. He graduated with a Degree in Civil Engineering in 1894, earning the highest honors, and was the recipient of the first “Jackson/Hope” award. He served as the Commandant of Cadets, and professor of mathematics at the Kemper Military Academy, Boonville, Missouri from 1894 til 1897. In 1907 he served as General Manager for the Southern Acid and Sulphur Company (see Joseph Mullen biography). At that time his residence was at 4540 Lindell Boulevard.  The company was sold to Monsanto Corporation in 1918 for a half-million dollar profit. The company evidently kept its name and was later merged with Olin-Matheson in 1949. Maj. Cocke served in the Spanish-American War as a first lieutenant in the 4th Missouri Volunteers, and in World War I as a Major of Infantry with the 35th Division. In 1919 he served with the 70th Division in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. In 1924 he was named Superintendent of the Virginia Military Academy. As Superintendent of VMI he held the rank of Brigadier General of the Virginia Volunteers.  He retired to his estate( Claremont Manor) in Claremont, Virginia in 1929. Gen. Cocke had remained active in the legal profession also, and was Chairman of the “Virginia Association Against the Prohibition Amendment”. He died in Richmond, Virginia on June 9th, 1938 at the age of 63
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Sources; Missouri historical Society (vertical file)