(One of Liberia's Greatest Educators)

In every culture, in every age and in every civilization, ancient philosophers informed us that great souls reincarnate in order to address the sufferings of others. These souls in their quest to be of service to their brothers and sisters provide light and inspiration. These personalities do possess great knowledge, but yet are people of little financial and material means.

They possessed inner determination to help others or to do those things that will help to enlighten the minds of others. They move among mankind with a humble heart and a mind that is at peace with itself. Their actions and ingenuities are the pillars upon which civilization continues to thrive and prosper. They are the hope of the world, especially in today’s world where the love of materialism has become the order of the day. They are the silent warriors, endeavoring centuries after centuries to bring enlightenment to all of mankind. Hon. Cyrus S. Cooper experienced transition at his home in Zwedru , Grand Gedeh County on October 24, 2009, he was 89 years old. He  stood out  in his humanity , as one of Liberia’s greatest educators.

He was a pioneer educator of Grand Gedeh County. He put away the desire for comfort and material success in order to plant seeds of academic pursuits among the people of Grand Gedeh County, especially at the time when the region was still regarded as the Eastern Province. As far back as 1954, he was in Grand Gedeh providing education, by establishing schools all over the then Eastern Province. His activities took him not only among the Krahn speaking people, but also among the Greebo speaking people of lower Grand Gedeh County, now called River Gee County.
In the early 1970’s, I met this great educator at the Ministry of Education,  going from office to office, endeavoring to retrieve the pay checks of teachers assigned at the Government schools in Grand Gedeh County. These teachers have not received their pay for two to three months. He struggled against a system that was determined to keep his people illiterate and uninformed. Sometimes, he will go the City of Monrovia for months, just to find education materials for his people and sometimes, he was ridiculed by some Grand Gedeans who perceived his humility and patience as a weakness. To the mind of this great soul, the education of the children of Grand Gedeh was most important than to confront a system that has all the propensities for self-destruction.

In 1963, at a Baptist School in Zwedru, this great soul passed out reading materials to elementary school kids. I was one of the kids that received the reading materials from Hon. Cooper. I was in the First grade at the time, enrolled at the Baptist School when he visited the school with other visitors from Monrovia.  His wife was my teacher at the Baptist School and she taught me to spell “don’t”. His wife taught me to recognize and pronounce the word ‘apostrophe’.    I was in the first grade in 1963.  Mrs. Cooper taught us to read from the books that this great educator distributed. In fact, when I left the Baptist School to enroll at a Catholic school in Zwedru, St. Philomena in 1965, at the request of my uncle, Mr. Robert K. Wallace (commonly called Taylor Wallace); I have already become a good reading. Thanks to the efforts and inspiration of Mrs. Cooper.

Honorable Cooper, according to family members, was born unto the union of Mr. Sei-Sobu and Madam Nyon-Nio in Twan-Won Town, Tchien Menyen Clan, and Grand Gedeh County. He was married and was a father of fourteen children. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Liberia College, now the University of Liberia, and a Master’s Degree in Education from Kansas State University, USA. His struggle to obtain an education exemplifies the struggles of many other indigenous Liberians. At the time, there were no schools in the Eastern province, now Grand Gedeh County, Hon. Cooper, like other Grand Gedeans, had to leave home. His quest for education took him to Cape Palmas, now Maryland County, and eventually to Monrovia. While in Monrovia, he lived with number of Americo-Liberians as a house-boy and adopted their names in the process.

Upon graduating from Liberia College in 1953, he was offered a teaching position in the Monrovia area, but he turned down the offer and return to Grand Gedeh County instead.  He worked within the government school in Zwedru City over a protracted period of time as a classroom teacher. Years later, he became Supervisor of schools. His initiatives opened the doors for the establishments of missionary schools in Grand Gedeh County, especially the building of the first Catholic school in the county. In fact, St. Philomena Elementary School was built adjacently to his house in Zwedru City. He encouraged the Baptist missionaries to establish a school in Zwedru City around 1962. He, with the help of the late Superintendent Albert T. White, pressured the Assembly of God Church in Zwedru to establish a high school in the county.

To the Cooper family, your loss is our loss, and indeed Liberia’s loss. Hon. Cooper was a man of service, a man who gave so much to Liberia. He was a pioneer in the education system of Grand Gedeh County; he was a forerunner in the promotion of quality education. He will be greatly missed. While he will be greatly missed by Liberians, especially those of us from Grand Gedeh County, let us rejoice over the contributions that he has made in the lives of young Liberians, let us rejoice over the examples of his life, let us celebrate his achievement and success as a Liberian great educator. Grand Gedeh County has been blessed to have had this great soul as a son, while others were running after material success in Liberia; he endeavored to serve his people with commitment and with love.

Professor Edward W. Blyden, LLD, was correct when he wrote in February of 1890, the following words:
"Knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that He was come from God, riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel and girded him. After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash his disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel, wherewith he was girded. "
“Here was the evidence of enduring power - service. It was His constant teaching to His disciples - He that would be chief among you let him become your servant;" and this among His last acts, was intended to give an impressive object lessons to be transmitted through them to all his followers. "I have given you an example," He said at the close of the ceremony, "that you should do as I have done onto you.”

“And this is the ground of all honor and greatness in the sight of God and man. No kingdom, not founded on this, whatever its glare and glitter, and however protracted its influence, can be permanent. If we will take a glance at history, past and contemporary, we shall find that, after all, the instincts of humanity are to honor service, not power. To whom are the monuments erected in the great centers of civilization? Are they to men who only exercised power? You will find that the names around which the heart's reverence and devotion pour their choicest perfumes are not those of the merely powerful. It is not the illustrations of the rapacity of men that will ring down the ages. It is not these that, like a refreshing stream, will rush through the desert of the future, giving life by their overflow and producing abundant harvests. No; the greatest men have not been the rapacious conquerors or the kings or political leaders, but the martyrs for truth and righteousness - those who set free the bodies and souls of men - the prophets, the inventors, the poets, the philosophers, the artists, the educators.”
Farewell Great Soul. May the spirits of our forefathers and the Divine Essence of God continue to guide you as you enjoy the fruits of eternal life and eternal happiness.

About Mr. Bargblor:
Mr. Edmund Zar-Zar Bargblor is a graduate of Cuttington University College , Howard University, Washington, D.C. and Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa , Israel and former Chairman of the Board of Directors, Grand Gedeh Association. Former Deputy Managing Director of the National Port Authority, NPA, Liberia; presently, he is President of the African Catholic Community of Rhode Island and also current President of the PUMAS Soccer Association of Rhode Island, Inc. (PSARI)
He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Comments (9)

	1. 16-11-2009 00:35
	Where is Patriotic Liberian??? Where is PL and his elementary writing skills? Read this very interesting article and tell me whether the writer give us a direct sense or what he was writing about in the frist paragraph.     Did the writer directly tell us that he was writing about Hon. Cyrus S. Cooper, Sr? Was the thesis statement in the first paragraph? If you read carefully, the thesis statement comes at the end of the second paragraph, " Hon. Cyrus S. Cooper experienced transition at his home in Zwedru , Grand Gedeh County on October 24, 2009, he was 89 years old. He stood out in his humanity , as one of Liberia’s greatest educators."    PL, please desist from bringing your elementary writing skills here. The reading audience here are very sophiticated and stop assuming that you are the most intelligent person. Stop assuming that this reading audience do not have a high intellect to understand higher forms of writings. Stop it, and stay with the issues!!

Chorphie Charlie

	2. 16-11-2009 11:58
	Tribute to Hon. Cooper Thank you Mr. Bargblor..It is a beautiful thing to knowledge the services that others have rendered, especially those who have helped to develop the minds of young people.      George Williams  UK http://tribute to hon. cooper

G. Williams

	3. 16-11-2009 12:44
	selflessly great For anyone who grew up in Zwderu, Grand Gedeh county in the sixties and seventies, the late Honorable Cyrus Cooper was the embodiment of education, enlightment and cilization. According to history, he was the first Krahn man to complete high school. He was also the first Krahn person to earn a college degree. He was the first from our section to earn a Masters Degee.Honorable Cooper lived an exemplary life; self-less, dedicated and humbled. In search of education he left Grand Gedeh which was then a jungle to travel to Cape palmas and then Monrovia. During this time he lived with different Americ-Liberian families. One could argued that during those days, he might have gotten used to the civilize life. But when he completed his studies, instead of staying in comfortable Monrovia, he requested to go to grand Gedeh, in the jungle those days, to bring enlightment to his people. His Americo- Liberian wife followed him and she was part of the educational system in Zwedru. She in fact was my kindergarten teacher. Hon. cooper was very self-less.  In Grand gedeh he was a classroom teacher and was instrumental in elevating the government school to high school level, thus giving the region its first high school. He managed the school system for over twenty years as assistant supervisor while the proper supervisor was sitting down in Harper Maryland enjoying all the amenities and benefits that came with the job.  Our generation needs to emulate the likes of Hon. Cooper. He did not try to impose himself on the people as their leader because he taught he had degrees no body else had. But through his deeds and selflessness, he was recognized as a true leader of the Krahn people. May his soul rest in peace.    Joseph K. Solo

joseph k. solo

	4. 16-11-2009 21:24
	I am moved by Edward W. Blyden's quota Hi:  Thank you Mr. Bargblor, I am moved by the quotation by Edward W. Blyden. Liberians need to realize that those who served the greater good of society, are the true champions ,pertinent to the advancement of humanity. It is sad that these days, evryone is working very hard to be the next president of Liberia. There is too much selfishness these days in Liberia, each one of us needs to learn the lessons from the life of Hon. Cooper.    "No; the greatest men have not been the rapacious conquerors or the kings or political leaders, but the martyrs for truth and righteousness - those who set free the bodies and souls of men - the prophets, the inventors, the poets, the philosophers, the artists, the educators.”    Thank you Mr. Bargblor..The people of Grand Gedeah, especially those with a deep sense of reflection, must be proud of your efforts. And thanks for the Blyden's quotation..he was a developed Liberian.  David Flomo  Monrovia, Liberia http://tribute to hon. cyrus cooper

David Flomo

	5. 17-11-2009 03:40
	Watch This Charlie! It was nice that Chorphie Charlie drew attention of PL on the article above. Can you write an article like that without anger and blood pouring out of your head? At least you are learning from "this interesting article" above. After you have read this article, let's seee whether you will do away with your anger and write something like it. No more insults, no more anger please, Charlie! I know you can do it, so please try. I believe that without anger and frustration you can do better. Let's see something new! Go Charlie, go,go and go!!!

Joe Blow

	6. 17-11-2009 08:24
	Lessons we must learn Thanks, Mr. Bargblor for this inspiring piece on Honorable Cyrus S. Cooper. I left grand Gedeh at an early age and did not know Mr. Cooper well. But what I have been told and from what you have written, I gather that Mr. Cooper's life provided valuable lessons that we all must learn. At this time in our history, we are yearning for leaders like Cyrus Cooper. Individuals who went to the outside world achieved all the wisdom and enlightment and come back to his people to share it.Today, we have people who left their homeland and forgot where they came from. But they will come back to their people after they found out that they don't fit with people who they went to school with. But when they come back instead of given the good things they learned for the betterment of their people, they are only interested in exploiting the people. They force themselves on the people as their leaders to use that as a platform to get recognition for self promotion. Mr. Cooper did not do that. He already got recognition by the powers that be. He was married into the Americo-Liberian dynasty and as i understand it, he and his wife went to Grand Gedeh to work in education. As I also understand it, he built the first government high school and was instrumental in getting the Catholic mission to be established in Zwedru. He also worked with the assemblies of god mission to build educational facilities in zwedru. But with all his efforts gaining fruits in the interst of Grand Gedeans, he did not go around to pull his weight to influence the decisions of those institutions as to whom they select to lead them. Today, we have people who call themselves leaders whose only records are exploitation of poor people; using their organization for platform to seek political recognition, deceiving them and stealing their resources and lying to them. Like our people say, we may not get the likes of Cyrus Cooper in a very long time. But we must learn lessons from his life. May his soul rest in peace.     Kai Dweh

Kai Dweh

	7. 18-11-2009 17:24
	why no anger, JOE BLOW? Joe, why do you believe if I was expressing anger and blood in my writing would not be an appropiate thing to do? See what has happened to all the great contribution this man that is being remember in this article.      All his contribution is wasted by political crooks and criminals who have wasted human lives. Do you want me to celebrate the destruction and abuse that was visited on our nation and its people? Come on Joe, I hope I was expressing more anger agaisnt politicriminality in our nation. For, I believe, unless we all express deep anger against those political vices,in Liberia, our nation will remian backwards.    I think you should rather be advising those who are pillaging our nation to stop instead of blaming a victim for getting angry at his perpretrators. Aye man Joe Blow, you really disappointed me oh!    Let us all keep the memory of Hon Cooper alive by expressing anger and disgust against the corrupt Ellen's government.

Chorphie Charlie

	8. 22-11-2009 09:32
	why no anger, JOE BLOW? THANKS, Mr. Bargblor. Writing like this, gives some of us who do not know the great hunitarian service carried out by Hon. Cyrus Cooper Sir. History will be kind to such great service.

NATHAN DENNIS

	9. 04-08-2010 17:02
	RIP, Mr. Cooper.... Mr. Cooper led an excellent life and indeed brought 'education' to Grand Gedeh.    In 1978, I was appointed Pricipal of Borkey Junior High School in Zleh Town, by Mr Cooper who actively supported my administration.    I have many fond memories of Mr Cooper.    May his soul rest in perfect peace.    e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr. Kofi Ellison

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