Cooper History

“I always believed in serving the community, and my service on the Cooper Board of Trustees is an extension of that belief. Cooper has undergone a significant transformation over the past several years, with the opening of the new medical school and the construction of the new cancer institute, and the future looks bright. I am proud to have the opportunity to be a part of it.” Read more.

In 1950, Dr. Bascom Waugh became the first African American doctor to join the medical staff at Cooper. A World War II veteran, Dr. Waugh was a former flight surgeon for the 332nd Fighter Group, the legendary Tuskegee Airmen. According to a 2007 Air Force School of Medicine report, Dr. Waugh was one of the first two African American doctors to be trained alongside Caucasian physicians in the Army’s School of Aviation near San Antonio. Read more.