William John Cooper

William John Cooper (November 24, 1882 – September 19, 1935) was an American educator who served as US Commissioner of Education from February 1929 to July 1933. According to the New York Times: "His fundamental theory of education, which he often repeated, was that the ultimate goal of teaching should be, not how to make a living, but how to live. Nevertheless, he believed that the system of education in this country should break away from the older traditions of Europe and seek to express the cultural developments of the New World. In one of his last public addresses Dr. Cooper urged a complete reorganization of the education system in this country to bring the schools into closer harmony with modern conditions." Background Cooper was the son of William James Cooper, who immigrated to the US from Sydney, Australia, and Belle Stanley (Leary) Cooper. Miss Leary was from San Francisco. They were married on February 22, 1882, in Sacramento, California, where William John was born. William James Cooper was a house painter and moved the family to Cottonwood, California, near Red Bluff where William John was then enrolled in high school. He graduated with honors as a member of the Class of 1902 at Red Bluff High School in Red Bluff, California. He obtained his bachelor's (A.B. degree, 1906, dual major in Latin and history) and master's (M.A. degree, 1917, double major in education and history) degrees from the University of California.