Valda Cooper
Encyclopedia
Valda Cooper whose full name was Valda "Val" Margaret Cooper Lavender, was a longtime award-winning American
journalist
and reporter. She was considered to be one of the first women to report on hard news for the Associated Press. She was also reported for a number of publications in New Mexico
, including the Farmington Daily Times
. Cooper also served as the managing editor
of the Farmington Daily Times during her 40 year reporting career.
Cooper was once quoted as proclaiming, "I've got printer
's ink
in my veins."
from Australia
with her parents when she was just an infant
.
journalism
at the Borger Herald in Borger, Texas
. She worked as a staff member at the Borger Herald for nine years before joining the Associated Press
' Bureau in Santa Fe, New Mexico
, in 1943. She was the first woman to work at the New Mexican AP
staff. There she covered the political proceedings at the New Mexico State Legislature
, including the New Mexico Senate
, and the New Mexico State Capitol
as a night editor for the AP.
In 1945, Cooper married United States Marines Staff Sergeant
Dave Cooper, who was originally from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
, while the New Mexican State Legislature was in session
. The State Leigislature actually adjourned early for the evening so the couple could enjoy a honeymoon
without worrying about reporting. Together the couple would later have two children - Kay and Cy Cooper.
Cooper also began working for the The Santa Fe New Mexican at the time. She won her first E.H. Shaffer award from the New Mexico Press Association while working for the paper. (The award is named in honor of former Albuquerque Journal
editor
, E.H. Shaffer.)
Cooper's husband, Dave Cooper, received his honorable discharge from the Marines, where he worked as a recruiting officer. He briefly co-owned a sporting goods store in Santa Fe, before selling it. The couple moved to Durango, Colorado
, before settling in Farmington, New Mexico
, in 1950 due to his job transfer by the Southern Union Gas Company. The couple remained together until Dave Cooper's death in 1985. Cooper later remarried to Dr. Harold Lavender in 1999. Valda and Harold lived in both Farmington and Albuquerque during their marriage. They remained together until Harold Lavender died in 2005.
Cooper joined the Farmington Daily Times in 1953 after moving to the area because of her husband's job transfer. She remained at the Farmington Daily Times for 26 years, including 14 years in which she served as the newspaper's managing editor
. By serving in this position, Cooper became the first woman managing editor of any daily newspaper in New Mexico.
Cooper became head of a number of journalism related organizations during her long career. She served as president of the New Mexico Press Association, the first female president of the New Mexico Associated Press Managing Editors Association and the
president of the New Mexico Press Women.
Valda Cooper retired from full time reporting in 1980. However, she remained a successful freelance writer, whose works were often published in New Mexico Magazine
. She also mentored young reporters in Farmington, New Mexico from 1981 until 1985.
Cooper also served on the boards of many New Mexican cultural, medical and educational organizations. She served for six years on the board of directors
for the San Juan Medical Center. She also held the poistion of chairman of the Fine Arts Advisory Committee of San Juan College
and on the board of the Anasazi, the Ancient Ones Foundation and the San Juan College Foundation's Hall of Fame. Additionally, Cooper was a member of the associations of the Farmington Museum, the Aztec Museum and the Salmon Ruins Museum.
Cooper was a co-founder of the San Juan Community Concert Association as well as the Farmington chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi
sorority. She served on the board of the San Juan Community Concert Association for 41 years from its inception until her retirement from the board in 1995. Cooper acted as the charter secretary for the San Juan College Foundation and on the school's Independence Election Committee when San Juan College officially separated from New Mexico State University
.
editor. In 1984, Cooper was named to the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame
. Three years later, in 1987, Cooper was also named Outstanding Woman Leader at the New Mexico Governor's Regional Conference, which was held in Farmington. She also won the New Mexico Medical Society's Guy Rader Award for excellent reporting on the medical field in 1964. (Her daughter, Kay Cooper McKinney, won the same award twenty six years later.) The Farmington Chamber of Commerce Past Presidents' Committee named Cooper to its Historymakers Hall of Fame in 1995. She was named to the same Chamber of Commerce
's Humanitarian of the Year award in 1986. She was also named to the San Juan College Hall of Fame
in 2001.
in her room in order to write potential stories and read the news. Cooper died in her sleep on April 12, 2008, at the age of 92 at her nursing home in Farmington, New Mexico
. She was survived by her two children and four grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and reporter. She was considered to be one of the first women to report on hard news for the Associated Press. She was also reported for a number of publications in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, including the Farmington Daily Times
Farmington Daily Times
The Farmington Daily Times is a newspaper in Farmington, New Mexico, USA. It used to be called the Farmington Times Hustler.The artist Will Evans was a columnist....
. Cooper also served as the managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of the Farmington Daily Times during her 40 year reporting career.
Cooper was once quoted as proclaiming, "I've got printer
Printer (publisher)
In publishing, printers are both companies providing printing services and individuals who directly operate printing presses. With the invention of the moveable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1450, printing—and printers—proliferated throughout Europe.Today, printers are found...
's ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
in my veins."
Early life
Valda Cooper was born in Melbourne, Australia, on November 15, 1915. She moved to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with her parents when she was just an infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
.
Career
Valda Cooper began her career in newspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at the Borger Herald in Borger, Texas
Borger, Texas
Borger is the largest city in Hutchinson County, Texas, United States. The population was 14,302 at the 2000 census. Borger is named for businessman Asa Philip "Ace" Borger, who also established the Hutchinson County seat of Stinnett and several other small towns in Texas and Oklahoma.- History...
. She worked as a staff member at the Borger Herald for nine years before joining the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
' Bureau in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, in 1943. She was the first woman to work at the New Mexican AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
staff. There she covered the political proceedings at the New Mexico State Legislature
New Mexico Legislature
The New Mexico Legislature is the legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico. It is a bicameral body made up of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate....
, including the New Mexico Senate
New Mexico Senate
The New Mexico Senate is the upper house of the New Mexico State Legislature. The Senate consists of 42 members, with each senator representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state. All senatorial districts are divided to contain a population on average of 43,300...
, and the New Mexico State Capitol
New Mexico State Capitol
The New Mexico State Capitol, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the house of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the only round state capitol in the United States, and is known informally as "the Roundhouse"....
as a night editor for the AP.
In 1945, Cooper married United States Marines Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
Dave Cooper, who was originally from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Lansdowne is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States located southwest of downtown Philadelphia. It was named for the Marquess of Lansdowne. The borough grew quickly in the early part of the twentieth century when a railroad stop was established near the intersection of...
, while the New Mexican State Legislature was in session
Session
-Bureaucracy:*Executive session, a portion of the United States Senate's daily session*Legislative session*Session *Session , a governing body in Presbyterian polity*Court of Session, the supreme civil court of Scotland...
. The State Leigislature actually adjourned early for the evening so the couple could enjoy a honeymoon
Honeymoon
-History:One early reference to a honeymoon is in Deuteronomy 24:5 “When a man is newly wed, he need not go out on a military expedition, nor shall any public duty be imposed on him...
without worrying about reporting. Together the couple would later have two children - Kay and Cy Cooper.
Cooper also began working for the The Santa Fe New Mexican at the time. She won her first E.H. Shaffer award from the New Mexico Press Association while working for the paper. (The award is named in honor of former Albuquerque Journal
Albuquerque Journal
-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
, E.H. Shaffer.)
Cooper's husband, Dave Cooper, received his honorable discharge from the Marines, where he worked as a recruiting officer. He briefly co-owned a sporting goods store in Santa Fe, before selling it. The couple moved to Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
, before settling in Farmington, New Mexico
Farmington, New Mexico
Farmington is a city in San Juan County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 U.S. Census the city had a total population of 45,877 people. Farmington makes up one of the four Metropolitan Statistical Areas in New Mexico. The U.S...
, in 1950 due to his job transfer by the Southern Union Gas Company. The couple remained together until Dave Cooper's death in 1985. Cooper later remarried to Dr. Harold Lavender in 1999. Valda and Harold lived in both Farmington and Albuquerque during their marriage. They remained together until Harold Lavender died in 2005.
Cooper joined the Farmington Daily Times in 1953 after moving to the area because of her husband's job transfer. She remained at the Farmington Daily Times for 26 years, including 14 years in which she served as the newspaper's managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
. By serving in this position, Cooper became the first woman managing editor of any daily newspaper in New Mexico.
Cooper became head of a number of journalism related organizations during her long career. She served as president of the New Mexico Press Association, the first female president of the New Mexico Associated Press Managing Editors Association and the
president of the New Mexico Press Women.
Valda Cooper retired from full time reporting in 1980. However, she remained a successful freelance writer, whose works were often published in New Mexico Magazine
New Mexico Magazine
The New Mexico Magazine launched in 1923, is the first state magazine founded anywhere in the nation, preceding Arizona Highways. New Mexico Magazine publishes a monthly print edition, maintains a website, and also prints and sells books, posters, notecards and many other gift items.-Overview:Based...
. She also mentored young reporters in Farmington, New Mexico from 1981 until 1985.
Cooper also served on the boards of many New Mexican cultural, medical and educational organizations. She served for six years on the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
for the San Juan Medical Center. She also held the poistion of chairman of the Fine Arts Advisory Committee of San Juan College
San Juan College
Founded in 1956 as a branch of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, San Juan College became an independent community college following a county election in 1981.-History:...
and on the board of the Anasazi, the Ancient Ones Foundation and the San Juan College Foundation's Hall of Fame. Additionally, Cooper was a member of the associations of the Farmington Museum, the Aztec Museum and the Salmon Ruins Museum.
Cooper was a co-founder of the San Juan Community Concert Association as well as the Farmington chapter of the Beta Sigma Phi
Beta Sigma Phi
is a non-academic sorority with 200,000 members in chapters around the world. Founded in Abilene, Kansas in 1931 by Walter W. Ross, the organization has spread to every state of the United States, to every Canadian province, and to 30 other countries. The sorority was founded for the social,...
sorority. She served on the board of the San Juan Community Concert Association for 41 years from its inception until her retirement from the board in 1995. Cooper acted as the charter secretary for the San Juan College Foundation and on the school's Independence Election Committee when San Juan College officially separated from New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
.
Awards and recognitions
Valda Cooper received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career. Many of Cooper's awards were for her writing accomplishments. She was the first woman to receive the New Mexico Sigma Delta Chi Journalism Fraternity's Dan Burrows Memorial Award, which is named for the former Albuquerque TribuneAlbuquerque Tribune
The Albuquerque Tribune was an afternoon newspaper in Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 1922 by Carlton Cole Magee as Magee's Independent. It was published in the afternoon and evening Monday through Saturday....
editor. In 1984, Cooper was named to the New Mexico Press Association Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
. Three years later, in 1987, Cooper was also named Outstanding Woman Leader at the New Mexico Governor's Regional Conference, which was held in Farmington. She also won the New Mexico Medical Society's Guy Rader Award for excellent reporting on the medical field in 1964. (Her daughter, Kay Cooper McKinney, won the same award twenty six years later.) The Farmington Chamber of Commerce Past Presidents' Committee named Cooper to its Historymakers Hall of Fame in 1995. She was named to the same Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
's Humanitarian of the Year award in 1986. She was also named to the San Juan College Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
in 2001.
Death
Valda Cooper lived at a nursing home in Farmington during her final years. She kept a computerComputer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
in her room in order to write potential stories and read the news. Cooper died in her sleep on April 12, 2008, at the age of 92 at her nursing home in Farmington, New Mexico
Farmington, New Mexico
Farmington is a city in San Juan County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 U.S. Census the city had a total population of 45,877 people. Farmington makes up one of the four Metropolitan Statistical Areas in New Mexico. The U.S...
. She was survived by her two children and four grandchildren.