Emma Ellene Cooper (1889-1972)

Imbued with the spirit of collective responsibility and achievement, Ms. Cooper was among the leaders of Topeka’s second generation of African American teachers to provide young people with the necessary skills for survival and achievement during the era of legal segregation. After graduating from Topeka High School, she pursued academic training for teaching at Emporia State College and, in later years, at Washburn University and the University of Chicago. From 1911 to 1941, she spent most of her public school career at Monroe School in Topeka, Kansas, although in her spare time she traveled extensively throughout the United States. During World War II, she joined the staff of Kansas Vocational School, a post-secondary school, where she served as librarian and matron. In addition to her teaching activities and travel, she volunteered her talents to St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church, her lifelong place of worship, and to a wide range of local and national organizations.

next biography 

home