Louise Garrod Cooper Scholarship Endowment

Established in 2009, this scholarship recognizes re-entry students at West Valley College who maintain a strong academic focus and grade point average even with the pressures of re-entry on their academic studies.

This scholarship endowment honors Louise Garrod Cooper, a woman who touched and enriched generations of students at West Valley College through her leadership on foundation boards, student scholarship committees, and student loan committees.

Louise was the eldest child of a pioneer Saratoga ranch family that played an important role in the agricultural history of Santa Clara Valley and California.

After attending Saratoga Grammar School and graduating from Los Gatos High School in 1935, Louise earned her bachelor’s degree in public administration at UC Berkeley.

In 1941, she married George Cooper, a fellow Cal alum, at the Saratoga Federated Church. After George's service as a P-47 pilot in World War II, the couple built their home on a hillside of the ranch where they raised their four children.

With a passion for the importance of public education, Louise served as president of multiple Parent-Teacher Associations, the Los Gatos-Saratoga High School Board, and the West Valley-Mission Advancement Foundation.

Louise showed a tremendous commitment and leadership in the field of education. The Louise Garrod Cooper Scholarship Endowment honors her commitment to help provide a gateway to higher education for outstanding re-entry students at West Valley College.