Martin Cooper
OUR TREASURER
Boggs Class of 1961
As I was writing this piece, I thought, “Who will stop long enough to read my biography?” I couldn’t think of anyone, but, in the name of the love I have for my position as treasurer, and the good memories I have about Boggs ….Here it is…
I'm from a small town in Burke County, Sardis, Georgia. I entered Boggs in 1958 and graduated in 1961. Some experiences were quite ironic, as the math teacher, Mr. Tutt used to refer to me as a “bum”, but that was ok, because I loved his class and excelled… In that class we carried excitement to the next level. He was a very good Math teacher and I loved math.
After graduation, I enlisted in the Air Force where I was first stationed at Schilling AFB Salina, Kansas, then in 1964 I was shipped off to Indian Mountain, Alaska .It was one of the most isolated areas on earth…to think about it Isolation is a mild word. It was an early warning radar site, …We had to keep an eye on Russia, and try to prevent them from making a surprise attack as there was a lot of tension between the US and Russia at the time. It was during the period of the Cold War…they were our arch enemy at the time… I got no surprises from Russia. The only surprise was that I didn't know how lonely a young man could get…but I endured it because I loved my career field at the time. I was a Thermodynamic Specialist. We maintained all of
The heating equipment, boilers, furnaces and etc. It was fun to me.
Upon discharge in 1965, I moved to Paterson, New Jersey, where I was employed at Phillip A Hunt Chemical, Corp., as a Maintenance Tech. While in Paterson, I also became a Mason…I think that started my life of multi-tasking in my work life.
And in 1970, I was called into the ministry where I became affiliated with the Church of God in Christ. Shortly after, I was ordained as an elder.
Moving to Flint Michigan in 1974…I enrolled in Detroit College of Business, where I graduated…. Summa Cum Laude in with an Associate of Science degree in Business Management. Soon after General Motors presented me with an apprenticeship training as a maintenance machinist, because I was still attending college but graduated as a Journeyman 1n 1979..
By 1980, I felt I’d had enough of those cold Michigan winters and moved back south to Albany Georgia…where I worked in Moultrie, Georgia in my field, maintenance technology for another sixteen years. I continued with my ministry and was elected local union president, and later became shop steward along with many other work-related union positions.
Ten years later in 1991, the Pentecostal Temple COGIC elected me secretary-treasurer….little did I know at the time, but this was preparing me for my current role as treasurer with the Boggs Academy National Alumni Association…
Although, I loved my work, I was hit with the "got-to-move-itist" again. I was presented with an opportunity to work for the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Jacksonville, Florida, again working in my field - maintenance technology. This time, being the multi-taker that I am, I became a member of the safety committee and the diversity committee also.
Tournament bass fishing and golfing became my hobbies. I loved it so much that by November 2007, I decided to hang up my “wrenches” to give myself over to home projects.
Boggs came calling… In 2006, I started attending the Boggs Academy All School Reunions. At the 2010 Reunion in San Antonio, Texas, after a year or so, of not having a treasurer, the association asked me to fill the vacant office of treasurer.
(I never knew that my time in that class with Mr. Tut, at Boggs would pay-off as a full-circle dividend, but it did.) Later I was elected, and have served as treasurer for the past three years. And I truly enjoy it. I hope I'm doing what I was elected to do, keep the books and be a good support for the board of directors….I hope I'm doing both to the association's satisfaction.
