Cooper-Garrod Family Scholarship

Established in 1990, this scholarship recognizes students who may have experienced difficulty with  high school but are now focused on academics and self-improvement.

The Cooper-Garrod Family Scholarship honors the memory of RV and Dick, two individuals who made significant contributions to California agriculture without the benefit of attending college.

Ralph Vince “RV” Garrod was twelve when his parents immigrated to California in 1892. After finishing 7th grade, he worked on the family and neighboring Saratoga farms to help make ends meet. As a young farmer, he was active in the formation of the Farmer’s Union, which was dedicated to better prices for the valley’s prunes and apricots. He went on to help organize Sunsweet Growers, where he served on the Board of Directors for many years. RV was one of the first agents for the newly formed Farmers’ Insurance Exchange and ultimately became Chairman of the Board of Governors. He was instrumental in convincing the State Legislature that California needed a School of Veterinary Medicine, which was established at UC Davis. In addition, he served many years on the boards of the Santa Clara County Fair and the California State Board of Agriculture. RV was awarded an honorary degree by Cal Poly for his long-time leadership in California agriculture.

Richard Ralph “Dick” Garrod was the youngest of RV and Emma Garrod’s three children. Dick grew up with a love for farming, hunting, and escapades with his school buddies. When he graduated from Los Gatos high school in 1938, his older sister and brother were attending UC Berkeley and Dick remained home to help on the family farm. With Word War II, he joined the U.S. Army and became a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division. After the war with his brother running the family farm, Dick joined Farmers Insurance and served as their California and Nevada representative for the next forty years.

RV and Dick showed tremendous tenacity and leadership in their lives. This scholarship honors their commitment to succeed despite life’s challenges.