Richard “Dick” Cooper was the first Swim Coach at Sahuaro, where he also taught P.E. and developed a very popular senior electives class. During his third year at Sahuaro, Dick’s swimmers captured the State Championship. He moved on to develop TUSD’s Selective Enrichment Program. While still at Sahuaro, Richard bought what used to be a petting zoo on Wrightstown Road and turned it into a successful day camp during the summers called Camp Adventure. He hosted several Sahuaro faculty fun picnics at Camp Adventure. He soon developed the site into a full-fledged Public Charter School, Tucson Country Day School, which is still very successfully operating under his direction. In all, Richard Cooper’s involvement in educational endeavors has spanned 50 years so far and he’s not through yet!
Richard is also involved in several community organizations like Tucson Chamber of Commerce, VIP Breakfast Club, his church board, as well as the Kiwanis, Moose and Elks clubs.
In 2009 Richard was selected as Arizona’s Entrepreneur of the Year by American Solutions in Washington D.C. Newt Gingrich came to Tucson to visit Tucson Country Day School and then at a banquet in Washington, D.C. introduced Richard and his wife, Susan, to receive his award. Richard has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Arizona Charter School Association.