Statement by the President on the Passing of Dr. George Cooper, Director of White House Initiative on HBCU's
buzzz worthy. . .
Michelle
and I were saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. George Cooper, the
Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black
Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs). As a native of Tallahassee, FL, George’s love of education and
HBCUs began as a student at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University, continuing his education at Tuskegee University and
receiving his Ph. D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana.
George spent the majority of his life ensuring that students at our
nation’s HBCUs were receiving a quality education and had the necessary
resources to succeed and make their communities and our country better.
He served on the faculty at several universities
including Alabama A&M University, Tuskegee University and as
President of South Carolina State University. His service extended
beyond working with students at institutions. For 17 years, he worked
with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute
of Food and Agriculture, ensuring that HBCUs and other minority-serving
institutions were receiving adequate resources to strengthen research
and academic programs. 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.