Interview with Don Edward Cooper, March 18, 1985

Interview Summary

Don Cooper, Senator Cooper's younger brother, begins the interview by detailing his childhood, parents, and family involvement in politics. Cooper reflects upon his father's death and how this event affected the family. Cooper discusses his siblings and their lives as children. Additionally, Cooper talks of Senator Cooper's educational path. Cooper then details his high school and university education experiences. Cooper describes Senator Cooper's time spent as a county judge in Pulaski County during the Great Depression. Cooper recalls his brother's 1939 campaign for Governor of Kentucky. Senator Cooper's persuasive nature is detailed. Cooper reflects upon several Senatorial campaigns of Senator Cooper, mainly focusing on the 1956 Senatorial campaign. Senator Cooper's reputation in the Senate as an independent voter is considered. Senator Cooper's campaign finance policies are evaluated. Cooper also discusses Happy Chandler and his support of Senator Cooper over the years. Cooper lists some important Kentucky Republican Party factions in the 1920s and 1930s. Cooper assesses difficult situations that his brother dealt with in the Senate. Cooper details the interactions that he and his family had with African Americans over the years in Somerset. To conclude the interview, Cooper describes his mother's education and his own personal experiences with World War II and the Great Depression.

Interview Keyword

Albert "Happy" Chandler Dwight Eisenhower Edward Prichard William Goebel John Sherman Cooper Alben Barkley A.O. Stanley Adron Doran Political campaigns Archibald Cox Augusta Military School Bob Martin Brown Hotel Caleb Powers Centre College Civil War Coal mines Dick Richard Campaign finance Earle Clements Edwin P. Morrow Elvira Admas Faustine Grant Cooper Campaigning Henry Clay Hotel Herman Donovan Holman Eugene Horses John M. Robinson Earle Clements Kentucky. John M. Robinson Sr. Mary Shepard Napier Admas Roscoe Conklin Tartar Schools Senate Somerset High School Senators Thruston Morton Ulysses Grant Cooper Virgil Chapman J. Strom Thurmond Harry Truman Political factions Republicans Roscoe Tartar Circuit judges County judges Marlow Webster Cook World War II Great Depression

Interview LC Subject

Cooper, Donald E. Cooper, Donald E.--Interviews Cooper, John Sherman, 1901-1991 Politicians Politicians--United States Politics and government United States--Politics and government Washington (D.C.) Kentucky Kentuckians Somerset (Ky.) Pulaski County (Ky.) Fathers Mothers Childhood Early life Brothers Sisters Education Death Centre College (Danville, Ky. : 1918- ) Yale University Harvard Law School Yale Law School World War, 1939-1945 Uncles Attorneys Standard Oil Company Augusta Military Academy (Va.) Black people African Americans Depressions--1929--United States

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.