Mo Cowan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mo Cowan
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Official portrait, 2013
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| United States Senator from Massachusetts |
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| In office February 1, 2013 – July 15, 2013 |
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| Appointed by | Deval Patrick |
| Preceded by | John Kerry |
| Succeeded by | Ed Markey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Maurice Cowan
April 4, 1969 Yadkinville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Stacy Cowan |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
William Maurice Cowan, born on April 4, 1969, is an American politician. He was a U.S. Senator for Massachusetts for a short time. He served from February 1, 2013, to July 15, 2013. Mr. Cowan is a member of the Democratic Party.
Before becoming a Senator, he worked for Governor Deval Patrick. He was Governor Patrick's legal advisor and his chief of staff. Governor Patrick chose him to temporarily fill a Senate spot. This spot became open when Senator John Kerry left to become the U.S. Secretary of State.
Mr. Cowan decided not to run in the special election held in 2013. This election was to finish the rest of Senator Kerry's term. Another Democrat, Ed Markey, took his place. Mo Cowan was the eighth African-American U.S. Senator. He was the second one from Massachusetts, after Edward Brooke.
He was one of three African-American U.S. Senators in the 113th Congress. The others were Republican Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina and Democrat Cory Booker from New Jersey. However, Mr. Cowan and Mr. Booker did not serve at the exact same time.
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Early Life and Education
Mo Cowan was born on April 4, 1969. He grew up in a rural area called Yadkinville, North Carolina. His father worked as a machinist, and his mother was a seamstress. Sadly, his father passed away when Mo was 16 years old.
High School and College
Mr. Cowan graduated from Forbush High School. At first, he wanted to become a doctor. But he changed his mind and studied sociology at Duke University. He earned his degree in 1991.
After Duke, he went to Northeastern University School of Law. He earned his law degree (Juris Doctor) in 1994. During his law studies, he gained work experience through a special program. He worked in a state court, at a prison legal service, and in a public defender's office.
Professional Career
In 1997, Mo Cowan started working at a law firm called Mintz Levin. He focused on civil litigation, which means handling legal disputes between people or organizations. He eventually became a partner at the firm.
He also helped Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney find African-American candidates for judge positions. This happened after Governor Romney was criticized for not having enough diversity among his choices.
Working for Governor Patrick
Mr. Cowan left Mintz Levin in 2009 to join Governor Deval Patrick's team. As the Governor's legal counsel, he was in charge of all legal matters for the state government. He also oversaw the Governor's choices for judges. One important choice was Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland for the state's highest court.
He worked on important projects, like creating laws to control rising health care costs. He also helped with laws to expand gambling in the state. He spent two years as the chief legal counsel. Then, from January 2011 to November 2012, he was Governor Patrick's chief of staff.
In November 2012, he announced he would return to private work. He continued to advise the Governor until he was appointed to the Senate. When he became a Senator, he said he did not plan to seek public office again. He said his political career would be "very short."
Awards and Community Work
In 2003, Boston Business Journal recognized him as one of their "40 under 40." This list highlights successful young business and community leaders. He was also the president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. He led the Northeastern Law School Alumni Association too.
Mr. Cowan serves on the Board of Trustees for Northeastern University. He has also been on the boards of several non-profit groups. These include the Discovering Justice Foundation and the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School.
U.S. Senate
In December 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Senator John Kerry to be the Secretary of State. This meant Senator Kerry would leave his Senate seat, which he had held for 28 years.
Massachusetts law allows the governor to appoint someone to temporarily fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat. Governor Deval Patrick said he was looking for someone new who had not run for office before. This person would hold the seat temporarily and not run in the special election.
Serving in the Senate
On January 30, 2013, Governor Patrick announced that he was appointing Mo Cowan to the Senate seat. Mr. Cowan became the second African-American U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. He served at the same time as Tim Scott from South Carolina. This was the first time two African-Americans served together in the Senate.
Mr. Cowan's term officially began on February 1, 2013. This was the day Senator Kerry's resignation took effect. Vice President Joe Biden officially swore him in on February 7. His term ended on July 15, 2013. That's when Ed Markey was sworn in after winning the special election.
Senate Committees
During his time as a Senator, Mo Cowan served on several important committees. These committees study different topics and help create laws.
- Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
- Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation
- Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Marketing and Agriculture Security
- Subcommittee on Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Food and Agricultural Research (he was the chair of this one)
- Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
- Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security
- Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet
- Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion
- Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance
- Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
- Subcommittee on Science and Space
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Personal Life
Mo Cowan is married to Stacy Cowan, who is also a lawyer. They have two sons named Miles and Grant. The family lives in Westwood, Massachusetts.
In 2013, he received an honorary degree from Georgetown University. He also gave a speech at the graduation ceremony for their business school.
See also
In Spanish: Mo Cowan para niños
