ABSTRACT
Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb was born in his maternal grandfather's house in Paducah, Kentucky on June 23, 1876. Though Cobb eventually wound up a cosmopolite of international renown, his public image and private sense of self were always thoroughly grounded in his southern heritage. On behalf of the Post, Cobb served as a war correspondent in 1914 and 1915 and again in 1918. Cobb's work during this period was acknowledged by the French Republic in 1919 when he was elected a Chevalier in the Legion of Honor. In 1932, Hollywood began filming a feature based on Cobb's "Judge Priest" stories and starring Cobb's longtime friend, Will Rogers. Cobb moved to California to serve as an advisor on the project and remained there for several years as an active member of the film community. Cobb often made his own appearance a butt of his humor, claiming that he was one of the ugliest men in America.
