As we remember those who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, the University of Georgia School of Law is pleased to share that Johnson J. “Jay” Cooper and his wife, Hillary, have initiated a scholarship fund honoring Jay’s father, Frederick E. “Fred” Cooper (J.D.’67), who also served our country, according to Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge.
Consistent with the School of Law's commitment to veterans, the scholarship will support outstanding law students, especially those who are veterans, who have plans to join or continue to serve in the armed forces, who have worked in the school’s Veterans Legal Clinic or similar initiatives during law school and/or who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to veterans or active service members.
Fred, a native Georgian from Thomasville, enlisted in the U.S. Army as a captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps after earning his law degree. Following his service to our country, he became a leader in the baking industry. Initially, he spent 16 years at Flowers Foods in varying capacities – general counsel, executive vice president, president and vice chair. During his tenure, the organization went public, transitioned from a regional southern bakery to a national food company and landed on the Fortune 500 list. In 1990, he founded CooperSmith, a small bread business that grew in six years to be the 13th largest private employer in Atlanta before being sold to Earthgrains in 1997. Fred was also active in the commercial baking industry’s largest organization, the American Bakers Association, and served as its chair.
"I would like to thank Jay and Hillary for allowing the School of Law to play a role in creating a lasting legacy for Fred – one that honors his military service," Rutledge said.
"As our law school seeks to redefine what it means to be a great national public law school, it is important we keep a world-class, hands-on and purpose-driven legal education affordable. This new scholarship will help to make our vision a reality," he concluded.