U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers to conduct Cooper Lecture at SCC November 9

U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers will be the guest speaker at the 7th Annual John Sherman Cooper Lecture to be held in the Citizens National Bank Community Room of the Harold Rogers Student Commons located on the Somerset Community College Somerset Campus on Wednesday, November 9, at 2:00 p.m. Admission is free and the public is invited. Refreshments will be served.

Congressman Rogers will be discussing his life in elected office and the memories made during his journey.

About Congressman Rogers

Serving Kentuckys 5th Congressional District since 1981, Rogers is currently in his 16th term representing the people of southern and eastern Kentucky, and is the longest serving Kentucky Republican ever elected to federal office. Focused on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drug use and preserving the natural treasures of Appalachia, Rogers has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the interests of the region where he was raised. Nationally, as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, his focus is on reducing the size and scope of the government through reductions in federal spending, conducting rigorous but thoughtful oversight of federal agencies, and performing targeted outreach inside and outside of the Congress.

Rogers works tirelessly to bring jobs, better education, and greater opportunities to the hardworking families living in his district. His vision for a stronger Appalachia spurred some of the greatest success stories in southern and eastern Kentucky. Organizations such as PRIDE, Operation UNITE, Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED), and TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (TOUR SEKY) have brought local communities together by revitalizing the environment, providing hope in the fight against drugs, building small businesses, and creating jobs by increasing tourism in one of the most beautiful regions of the country.

About John Sherman Cooper

This is the 7th Annual Cooper Lecture and it is named after Somersets own, John Sherman Cooper. Cooper was born in Somerset on August 23, 1901. He graduated from public schools. He attended Centre College in Danville, but graduated from Yale College in 1923. Cooper attended Harvard Law School from 1923-1925, admitted to the Kentucky Bar in 1928 and then set up his law practice in Somerset.

Cooper was elected to the Kentucky Legislature in 1928. He served as judge of Pulaski County from 1930 to 1938. Cooper was a veteran and served in World War II and rose to the rank of captain in the Army. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1946 and served until 1949. He was elected to the Senate a second time from 1952 to 1955. On Nov. 6, 1956 Cooper was elected a third time to the Senate and was reelected in 1960 and 1966. His Senate service ended on January 3, 1973 when he declined to run for reelection.

Cooper was also a member of the board of trustees of the University of Kentucky from 1935-1946, served as a delegate to the United Nations, and was appointed Ambassador to India, Nepal and the German Democratic Republic. He died on February 21, 1991 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The inaugural Cooper Lecture was given by Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell in August 2005. At that time McConnell said, One of the greatest senators in Kentucky history, and certainly the greatest of my adult lifetime, is John Sherman Cooper. He stood fast for what he believed was right, no matter how large the opposition or great the cost. He taught me how to be a senator. And he taught everyone who knew him the value of integrity, forthrightness, and moral character.

ABOVE: Then Commonwealths Attorney Hal Rogers and Senator Cooper greet constituents in 1979.

For most Kentuckians, higher education begins at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Somerset Community College, with campuses in Somerset and London, and centers in Clinton, McCreary, Casey and Russell Counties, is one of 16 KCTCS colleges on 68 campuses and more than 100,000 students. KCTCS is a critical component to transforming the states economy by providing citizens with the education and training needed for high growth, high wage careers. For more information, visit somerset.kctcs.edu.