Welker Cochran (October 7, 1897 - July 26, 1960) was an American professional carom billiards player who won world titles in two different disciplines, balkline and three-cushion billiards.
He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, but moved to Manson early. He began playing at a young age in a billiards parlor owned by his father in Manson, and by the age of 17 was among the best players in the world.[1]
He won his first world title in 1927 in 18.2 balkline. The popularity of balkline faded in the late 1920s and early 1930s, causing Cochran to switch to three-cushion, in which he won his first world title in 1933. In 1945, Cochran set a new world record (now surpassed) by achieving a game average of 3 (60 points in 20 innings) in a match he won against Willie Hoppe. He retired from serious competition in 1946 due to arthritis, but did make a comeback attempt in 1954.[2]
He died on July 26, 1960, in Belmont, California.
Cochran was inducted posthumously into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 1967.[3]
