Chronicle April 2016

22 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Obituaries Two great St Edward’s men who did much to shape the School as we know it today.

A Governors’ meeting, 1978. Geoffrey Palau sits at the head of the table; Graham Cooper is second on his right

Graham Cooper OSE By Malcolm Oxley, former Second Master and author of A New History of St Edward’s School, Oxford, 1863 – 2013

St Edward’s has enjoyed and benefitted from a host of able Governors during its 150 year history. Only one of these has a whole quadrangle named after him. In 1988, when the space surrounded by the new Art, Design and Mathematics buildings was created, it was dubbed the Cooper Quadrangle commemorating both the generosity and the sagacity of Graham Cooper, a Governor from 1947-93 and Chairman from 1973-85. Graham, who was born in 1917, joined the School in the Michaelmas Term of 1931 at the same time as Sir John Moreton who, in 1980, would join him on the Governing Body.

He was a year ahead of Guy Gibson whom he knew well. He left in 1937 as Senior Prefect and Head of House. By then Henry Kendall had transformed the old ‘sets’ into unified boarding houses and Graham was head of his House serving under Ken Menzies and Gerry Segar. He also captained the XV and the athletics and hockey teams. He figured prominently in other school activities like debating where, in an atmosphere of very traditional attitudes among the young, he displayed a strikingly liberal stance. He went on to Trinity College, Oxford, where, in 1940, he took his BA and a rugby Blue. He remained very loyal to his college and was made an Honorary Fellow in 1983. After war service as a Major in the Westminster Dragoons he returned to join and later lead the family firm of Cooper’s, successful builders’ merchants in Oxford. He was soon a prominent figure in the Oxford business world and always played a full part in civic life serving as Vice Chairman of the Oxford Regional Health Authority and as a Trustee and Vice Chairman of the Oxford Preservation Trust. He was a Justice of the Peace for Abingdon. In 1947, such was the esteem in which he was already held by Warden Kendall and the Governors that he was invited to join

their number. He must have been one of the youngest Governors ever and certainly he became far and away the longest serving. His role as a business man based locally made him an excellent Governor but it was his judgement and unswerving loyalty to his old School which made him unique, a loyalty which extended to his educating his own children at St Edward’s. Serving six Wardens he built up a range of experience which made him a major figure in the shaping of school policies and strategies for more than 50 years. His governance was not to act as a brake on change or as a guardian of the past. He helped to preside over the very considerable changes which the wardenships of Fisher, Bradley, Phillips and the two Christies witnessed, years of growth, prosperity and a considerable raising of standards all round. The 2013 Roll rightly summarises as follows: ‘He has been an important figure in the School’s progress over the second half of the 20th century, and a frequent benefactor.’ His generosity was indeed considerable both in outward benefactions and behind the scenes assistance for a host of projects large and small. He will always be remembered as a very considerable figure in the history of St Edward’s. Graham Cooper died on 18th February 2016 aged 98.

Graham Cooper, Captain of the 1936 1st XV