Daniel William Cooper

Daniel William Cooper's Sigma Chi badge.

Daniel William Cooper "ruler of the spirit"was born in September 1830 near Fredericktown, Ohio. He was 25 years old when he and the other six Founders founded Sigma Chi at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, 1855. Cooper is credited with contributing much to the spiritual content and nature of the Fraternity. Cooper was also the first Consul (president) of the Alpha Chapter until his graduation.

Cooper attended seminary after graduation and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He was a pastor in many congregations in Ohio and engaged in special missionary service. In retirement, he lived for some years in the Southern United States, returning to Ohio where he spent his last years of his life with his son, James G. Cooper. Until he died in the early 1900s, Founder Cooper wore his original Sigma Phi badge; it can now be seen at the Sigma Chi Fraternity Headquarters museum. The original Sigma Chi badge is pinned on every newly-installed Grand Consul at each Grand Chapter, and the Grand Consul wears the replica badge for the duration of his term.

At 25, Daniel Cooper was the most senior of the seven founders. When the new fraternity was founded in 1855, Cooper must have seemed very much like the elder brother to Runkle, Lockwood, and especially to Caldwell, who was 14 at the time. But Cooper was still a relatively young man, and his recognized ability to demonstrate maturity and exercise self-control proved to be valuable to the developing organization. His fraternity brothers looked up to him as they did for his chronological seniority. Accordingly, the brothers elected Cooper as the first Consul of the Alpha Chapter. All accounts confirm that Cooper was a warm and patient mentor to all of the brothers, and he is credited with forging the main moral and philosophical foundations of the Fraternity. Runkle paid high tribute to Cooper with his recollection: "To more than to any other man is due the birth and early growth of the kindly and generous spirit of Sigma Chi. It is hard to account for his dominant spirit and his influence in that little band(of brothers)." Cooper continued to look after the personal and spiritual needs of others in his professional life. After leaving college, he entered seminary and became a Presbyterian minister. He served as pastor to several parishes in his home state of Ohio and performed missionary work. Runkle remarked that "Brother Cooper... though rich in spirit, was poor in worldly goods and his life and work contain a priceless lesson for those of us who think that the end of life is the attainment of material riches and worldly power." Brother Cooper wore his original Sigma Chi badge throughout his life. Upon his death, the pin was preserved. Today the newly elected Grand Consul has the honor of being pinned at his installation into office with the Cooper badge.

Academics: Graduated Miami University in 1857, was a student at Western Theological Seminary, 1857–59, licensed by Richland Presbytery in 1858, ordained in 1859

Professional: Pastor, Presbyterian churches in Ohio and Indiana, 1859-91. Delegate of the Presbyterian General Assembly in 1872 and 1855.

Memorial: Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh

External links

Biography portal

• Official Sigma Chi Website
• Daniel William Cooper at Find a Grave

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Name	Cooper, Daniel W
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