State Rep. Barbara Cooper

State Rep. Barbara Cooper, D-Memphis, died Oct. 26, 2022, at the age of 94. At the time of her death, Cooper was the oldest-serving lawmaker in the Tennessee General Assembly. A Memphis native, Cooper had served as the representative for District 86 for 22 years. Cooper held a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Tennessee State University as well as a doctorate in philosophy and Christian psychology from Jackson Theological Seminary. A retired educator with the Memphis school system, Cooper was well known in the legislature for her advocacy for Tennessee students.