“C” is for Cooper, Robert Archer (1874-1953)

“C” is for Cooper, Robert Archer (1874-1953). Governor. A native of Laurens County, Cooper served two terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 1919 with the support of outgoing governor Richard I. Manning, Cooper won the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary. In November he won an uncontested general election. Emulating the progressive policies of his predecessor, he proposed an ambitious reform program. Cooper and his legislative allies enacted measures that guaranteed seven month public school terms, as well as higher salaries for public educators. Buoyed by the optimism of a strong war-time economy, South Carolina voters approved of the governor's ambitious agenda and re-elected him in 1920. Unfortunately, Robert Archer Cooper's second term as governor was marked by a serious agricultural depression and post-war economic recession that undercut public support for his progressive programs.