MAJOR GENERAL J. GARY COOPER, USMCR

General Cooper is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana. He received his B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps upon graduation in June, 1958. Following graduation from The Basic School, he initially reported for duty with the 1^st Marine Brigade. General Cooper served on active duty for 12 years, commanding a number of units, including the Marine Detachment aboard the Guided Missile Cruiser Chicago. In 1967, he became the first black officer in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry company into combat which is noted in the historical calendar of the Corps.

In Vietnam, General Cooper earned a number of decorations for heroism including the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts for wounds received in ground action, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry three times. His other military decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

He joined the Individual Ready Reserve in January, 1970. As a reservist, he has commanded the 13^th Force Reconnaissance Company in Mobile, the 4^th Battalion, 14^th Marines, 4^th Marine Division and a number of other mobilization assignments including Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, N.C. In 1988, he was promoted to Major General and returned to active duty as Director of Personnel, Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. He retired from the Corps in 1993.

In 1974, he was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. He was reelected in 1978 but resigned to serve in the Governor’s Cabinet as Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

In 1994, President Clinton selected him to be Ambassador to Jamaica, a position he held until December, 1997.

President Bush appointed him in 1989 to be the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower, Reserve Affairs, Installations and Environment and he served throughout the Bush administration.

General Cooper serves as Chairman and CEO of Commonwealth National Bank, the first minority owned national bank in Alabama. He serves on the Boards of Spring Hill College and Talladega College and is active in numerous other community organizations, especially those serving youth.