Mr. Bennett J. Cooper ’67, ’12H and Mrs. Joanne E. (Wargo) Cooper ’67
FIAT LUX SOCIETY MEMBERS
Through their decades of exceptional philanthropy, Bennett J. Cooper ’67, JD, LHD ’12 and Joanne (Wargo) Cooper ’67 have made a transformative impact at Millersville University as visionary leaders and champions for student success. The Coopers share a tremendous passion for making a difference at their alma mater that has shaped the Millersville University community immeasurably.
Cooper Park, the University baseball facility, was named in honor of Mr. Cooper in 2013, to recognize his incredible dedication to the Millersville baseball program. Mr. Cooper served as vice-chair of the Millersville University Soar to Greatness Capital Campaign that raised $88 million from 2006 to 2012, and Mrs. Cooper served as chair of the campaign’s Global Opportunities initiative. In 2012, Bennett J. Cooper received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Millersville University in recognition of his extraordinary service.
Giving back to Millersville University with financial support began in the 1970s for the Coopers, and they continued to make generous gifts consistently through the years. With their commitment to supporting students, the Coopers have established a collection of scholarship endowments including the Bennett J. Cooper Baseball Scholarship Endowment, the Baseball Excellence Fund Endowment and the Bennett J. and Joanne Wargo Cooper Global Opportunity Endowed Scholarship. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper have also contributed to the establishment of the Victor J. Bilotta & William B. Cooper Men’s Intercollegiate Baseball Scholarship Endowment and the H. Craig Lewis ’66 & Bennett J. Cooper ’67 Men’s Intercollegiate Baseball Scholarship Endowment. One of the Coopers’ first major contributions to the University was to support the Language department, for which a wing of the department was named in honor of Mrs. Cooper.
As alumni of Millersville State College in the Class of 1967, Mr. Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in history and political science and Mrs. Cooper graduated with a bachelor’s degree, majoring in French with a minor in Russian. Mr. Cooper was a student-athlete at Millersville and played baseball and football from 1964 through 1967. After graduating from Millersville, Mr. Cooper earned a Juris Doctor (JD) law degree from Temple University in 1971.
Through his distinguished professional career in financial service organizations, Mr. Cooper has served in roles including senior distribution consultant and in-house counsel for Branca-Rampart Agency; president and CEO of Karlsberg International; and president of American General Life and Accident (AIG/AGLA). Mr. Cooper served as senior vice president with the John Hancock Insurance Company, and as a senior consultant with Tillinghast-Towers Perrin. These career experiences led the Coopers to reside in cities across the country, before returning to live in Lancaster County.
Teaching was the career pathway for Mrs. Cooper after she graduated from Millersville. Mrs. Cooper earned a master’s degree from Temple University in 1972 as a Reading Specialist, teaching remedial reading and diagnosing reading disabilities in and around the Philadelphia area in the late 1960s and 1970s under Title One.
As their remarkable philanthropy elevates the student experience throughout the University, the Coopers have nurtured academic excellence and aspire to benefit future students in their journeys of success. “We do what we can and hope it makes a difference for both current students and the students that come after them,” Mr. Cooper says. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help provide our support to students. We endeavor to enhance their university experience in a positive manner, to engender in them the same respect and love we have for Millersville University, now and always.”