DATE: April 22, 2008
CONTACT:
Calvin Becker, (864) 656-2174
bcalvin@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Teresa C. Hopkins, (864) 656-1222
hopkin1@clemson.edu
State Rep. Cooper to receive honorary degree at Clemson commencement
CLEMSON – South Carolina Rep. Daniel T. Cooper will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, May 9, during commencement exercises in Littlejohn Coliseum at Clemson University.
As chairman of the South Carolina House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Cooper holds one of the key positions in state government. He has served continuously in the S.C. House of Representatives since 1991, where he has been a member of the Medical, Military and Municipal Affairs Committee; the Education and Public Works Committee; and the Ways and Means Committee, which he has chaired since 2005. He also serves on the Joint Bond Review Committee and is the only Upstate member of the Budget and Control Board.
“Receiving this honorary degree from my alma mater is more than an honor,” Rep. Cooper said. “It was a privilege to study at Clemson University, which equipped me to serve our great state, and it is a privilege to give back to South Carolina through my career of community service.”
A native of Anderson County, he studied community and rural development at Clemson University, earning his bachelor's degree in 1984. He spent two years working for state and local governments before embarking on a career in the insurance industry. Having completed commercial property and casualty insurance schools through both the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of South Carolina and AutoOwners Insurance Co., Rep. Cooper earned his Certified Insurance Counselor designation in 2004. He became affiliated with Capstone Insurance Services LLC in 1997 and became a partner and vice president in 1999.
“Rep. Cooper is being recognized for his commitment to Clemson University and higher education in South Carolina,” said university President James F. Barker. “His support has enabled the state’s research universities to increase their research capability and advance South Carolina’s knowledge-based economy.”
In recent years, Cooper has helped secure funding for Clemson’s Baruch Institute in Georgetown, the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) and the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), among others. He also has been a champion of Clemson’s Public Service Activities mission and the university’s support of the state agriculture industry, Barker said.
Rep. Cooper’s public service contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including being named Legislator of the Year by four separate state associations and councils. The Medical University of South Carolina and Coastal Carolina University have presented Rep. Cooper with honorary degrees, and the Anderson County Council recently named the newly opened Powdersville Library and Government Center after him.
END