Walter Cooper Receives Woerner Kollmorgen Award
Nazareth College is pleased to honor the recipient of this year’s Woerner Kollmorgen Award, Dr. Walter Cooper, for his notable contributions to Rochester by enhancing the quality of life for members of the community. Scientist, humanitarian, activist, and educator Walter Cooper received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Rochester in 1956. During his 30 years as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak Company, he became deeply involved in community development, civil rights, and educational issues. His local service included the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Urban League, Baden Street Settlement, Action for a Better Community, the United Community Chest, and the Rochester Area Foundation, among others. Nationally, he chaired the Ralph Bunche Scholarship Committee and consulted for the Small Business Administration. He has served as regent and regent emeritus for the State of New York since 1988; in 1975, he was named to the board of trustees of his alma mater, Washington and Jefferson College.
In recognition of his work in community development and education, Dr. Cooper has received numerous awards, including the Rochester Junior Chamber of Commerce’s LeRoy Synder Award, the Rochester Chamber of Commerce Social Work Civic Development Award, the Charles T. Lunsford Award, the University of Rochester Hutchison Award, the F. Ritter and Hettie L. Shumway Distinguished Service Award, the 69th Annual Rotary Award from the Rochester Branch of Rotary International, a Knighthood from the National Order of Mali, the University of Rochester Frederick Douglass Award, honorary doctorates from SUNY Geneseo and Nazareth College, and a Distinguished Service Award and an honorary doctorate from Washington and Jefferson College. In 2009, Rochester School Number 10 was named the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy. His hard work and dedication make Dr. Cooper a deserving recipient of the prestigious Woerner Kollmorgen Award. The award was established by Louise Woerner and former Nazareth trustee Don Kollmorgen.
Nuala Boyle, executive director of Nazareth’s Center for Civic Engagement, presents the 2013 Woerner Kollmorgen Award to Dr. Walter Cooper