William “Willie” Cothrum, a former Dallas City Council member and the founder of Masterplan Consultants, one of the largest zoning and land use firms in North Texas, died Wednesday of apparent natural causes. He was 87.
Cothrum made history in 1965 when he was elected to the Dallas City Council at age 26, becoming the youngest person ever to serve in that role. He represented the city from 1965 to 1969 and again from 1975 to 1980. In 1981, he established Masterplan, which is a key player in North Texas zoning and development.
“I had a couple people who were young developer types come to me and say they needed some advice from me about how to do things at the city, and they were willing to pay me to do it,” Willie Cothrum told The Dallas Morning News in 1998 about the firm’s beginnings.
Beyond politics and business, Cothrum was known for his deep love of Dallas and its sports teams. A devoted Cowboys fan, he told The News in 2005 that he had missed only two home games in 45 years. He was also passionate about SMU football, Broadway musicals, and the city’s cultural scene.
Political Points
His son, Dallas Cothrum, said his father took pride in helping establish Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, owning the ABA’s Dallas Chaparrals (which later became the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs), and playing a role in bringing the Mavericks, Stars, and Rangers to the Dallas area. Willie Cothrum’s father had inspired his political career, Dallas Cothrum said.
“He knew the best route to go everywhere,” Dallas Cothrum told The News on Thursday. “He just knew everything in the city, and he knew everybody.”
Dallas Cothrum remembered his father as someone who loved ice-cold milk, cared deeply for his children, and wanted everyone to succeed. He encouraged people to pursue their dreams and ambitions.
While the term “lobbyist” often carries a negative connotation, Dallas Cothrum said that never applied to his father. Willie Cothrum was respected across Dallas, built strong relationships, and understood the city’s diverse neighborhoods.
“He took the time to know people and listen and understood that this is a city full of neighborhoods and people that care about their community and that maybe the differences in Dallas are what make it strong,” Dallas Cothrum said.
Ed Oakley, who served on the Dallas City Plan Commission from the late 1990s to 2001 and on the City Council from 2001 to 2007, remembered Willie Cothrum as someone with a knack for off-color jokes among friends, always ready with “one of the day,” though Oakley couldn’t recall any specific examples.
Cothrum remained calm and composed, Oakley added, even in contentious situations, and was easy to work with. Some neighborhoods may not like what he was presenting, Oakley said, but they could trust the fact that he was telling them the facts.
“I could call him day or night and ask him a question, and he would know the answer or know where to find it immediately,” Oakley said. “He was just a wealth of knowledge.”
Undated photo of former Dallas City Council Member William Cothrum.
Dallas Municipal Archives
Oakley said that Willie Cothrum was involved in so many zoning cases over the years, both during his time on the City Council and as a consultant, that he believed there’s hardly a street in Dallas, especially in areas like Oak Lawn, Uptown, and East Dallas, where he didn’t play a role in shaping the zoning or land use.
Developer Ray Washburne described Cothrum as a mentor and “a legend at City Hall” who took Washburne under his wing when Washburne was on Dallas’ City Plan Commission in the 1980s.
“He was just one of those old-school guys that knew the city like the back of his hand,” Washburne said. “Willie was from an era of big personalities in Dallas, and he was a big personality in the city.”
Washburne cited people like Southwest Airlines co-founder Herb Kelleher, Mary Kay Cosmetics founder Mary Kay Ash, and billionaire businessman and former presidential candidate Ross Perot as among those in that era.
Funeral service information has not been finalized.