Dr. George Cooper, former president of S.C. State University, dies at 68
7/31/2015, 4:09 a.m.
Dr. George Cooper, who served as the 10th president of South Carolina State University from 2008 to 2012, died Sunday, July 19, 2015.
A cause of death has not been released. He was 68.
According to The White House, Dr. Cooper served as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In a statement of condolence released last week, President Obama said, “George’s passing is a great loss for my Administration, the HBCU and higher education communities and for everyone that knew him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Diane, family and friends during this difficult time.”
Dr. Cooper voluntarily resigned from the historically black university in Orangeburg in 2012, citing family reasons and looking for other career opportunities. He stepped down during a time of controversy when the school’s troubles began to surface. Three weeks prior to resigning, Dr. Cooper fired eight top-level employees.
Interim President Dr. W. Franklin Evans said in a statement that Dr. Cooper “was instrumental in advancing progressive initiatives that served as the framework to strengthen the university and reaffirm its mission as a public land-grant university committed to enhancing the quality of life for all citizens.”
Survivors include his wife, Diane Shaw Cooper, and two daughters.
A funeral was held Monday, July 27, at The People’s Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Md.
