SUNY Cortland Athletics

Selected as the Outstanding New York State Principal and named the New York State representative for the In Honor of Excellence in Education Award in 1986, Dr. John W. Cooper has earned distinction as a school administrator. Cooper has been the assistant superintendent for instruction in the Canandaigua School District since 1987, served as principal of James Beneway High School in Ontario Center, N.Y., between 1980-1987, was dean of students at Guilderland Central High School from 1977 to 1980, and coordinator of adult & continuing education for the combined school districts of Draper Union Free, Mohonasen and Schalmont between 1970-75. At the latter, Cooper also worked as assistant principal, superintendent's intern, coordinator of secondary health education, and head varsity football coach in the Schalmont School District.

Cooper began his professional career as a health and physical education teacher and as a football and lacrosse coach at Wilbur Lynch High School in the Greater Amsterdam School District from 1968 to 1970. Selected by the New York Library Association/School Library Media Section as its first annual Secondary Administrators Award winner, Cooper is an assessor for the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASP) within the principal's assessment model. A presenter at state and national conferences, Cooper has been an author and consultant for numerous articles. He is a past president of the Wayne County Administrators Association and a member of the American Association of School Administrators.

A native of Altamont, N.Y., Cooper attended Cortland from 1963 to 1967. He lettered three years in both football and lacrosse. As a senior, he was an ECAC Football Player of the Week. Cooper was a member of Beta Phi Epsilon fraternity and social chairman for two years. Cooper earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Cortland in 1967. He graduated from Syracuse University with a master's degree in physical education in 1968. While at Syracuse, Cooper had an assistantship teaching physical education and coaching freshman lacrosse. He earned an Ed.D. in Educational Administration from SUNY Albany in 1979.

Within his community, Cooper is a member of the Finger Lakes Youth Museum Board of Trustees and a former member of the Myers Community Hospital Board of Trustees and of the Walworth-Seely Library Board of Trustees. He is currently a board member for the Canandaigua Dollars for Scholars, the Ontario Bicentennial Video Committee and the Canandaigua Library Council.

UPDATE: Cooper passed away on July 26, 2007 at age 61.