William Cozzens
28th Governor of Rhode Island
In office March 3, 1863 – May 26, 1863
Preceded by	William Sprague IV
Succeeded by	James Y. Smith
Mayor of Newport
In office 1854–1855
Preceded by	George Henry Calvert
Succeeded by	William Swinburne
Personal details
Born	(1811-08-26)August 26, 1811 Newport, Rhode Island, U.C.
Died	December 17, 1876(1876-12-17) (aged 65)
Resting place	Island Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Martha Stanton Gould

William Cole Cozzens (August 26, 1811 – December 17, 1876) was an American politician and the 28th Governor of Rhode Island.

Cozzens was born in Newport, Rhode Island, on August 26, 1811.^[1]

He married Martha Stanton Gould; the couple had five children. He was a successful dry goods businessman and President of the Rhode Island Union Bank.^[2]

Cozzens was a Democrat. He was a mayor of Newport and represented Newport in both houses of the Rhode Island General Assembly. He was president of the state Senate and thus became governor of Rhode Island on March 3, 1863, when William Sprague resigned to become a US Senator. Cozzens ran in the next gubernatorial election, but lost to Republican James Y. Smith and left office on May 26, 1863. (Normally the lieutenant governor of Rhode Island would become governor in the event of the governor's resignation; however, at that time the office of lieutenant governor was vacant due to the resignation in December 1862 of Lieutenant Governor Samuel G. Arnold to become a United States Senator.)^[3]

He died on December 17, 1876, and was interred at the Island Cemetery in Newport.^[4]

His great-grandson, James Gould Cozzens, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist.

• Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN 0-313-28093-2

William C. Cozzens at Find a Grave