Martin Cooper

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. 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. 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.

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 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 in 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.

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-tasker 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. Tutt, 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.