Raymond Edward Cooper, manufacturer and chemist, has prospered from year to year and in so doing has conducted all of his business matters carefully and successfully. He was born in Cato, Cayuga county, New York, October 12, 1890, his parents being Edward J. and Florence (Sherwood) Cooper. Edward J. Cooper was born at Cato, on November 16, 1860, and is now living in Little Falls, New York, aged sixty-four years. In early life he was a farmer but afterward became a traveling salesman for the International Seed Company of Rochester, New York, and remained for twenty-one years. At a later time he sold guano for the Piedmont Mount Airy Guano Company of Baltimore, Maryland. He is now associated with the Peerless Leather Finish Corporation of Little Falls, New York. His parents were Samuel and Maria (Wells) Cooper. Samuel Cooper was born in Cato and died there. His occupation was farming. His wife was also born and died in Cato. Florence (Sherwood) Cooper, mother of Raymond Edward Cooper of this review, was born in Port Byron, Cayuga county, on April 12, 1861, and is now living in Little Falls, aged sixty-three. She is the daughter of John and Eugenia (Millner) Sherwood.
Raymond Edward Cooper acquired his early education in the public school at Cato, but afterward attended the Mechanics Institute at Rochester, where he was graduated in the class of 1908. He then went to the Jamaica Training School at Jamaica, New York, for two years, after which he entered Pratt Institute at Brooklyn, for the course in chemical engineering and was graduated in the class of 1911 with the A.C. degree. On July 5, 1911, Mr. Cooper came to Little Falls, and became associated with the Barnett Leather Company as chemist and was there until 1916, after which he entered the employ of the Barrett & Company, Shadyside, New Jersey, as an assistant chief chemist in the works laboratory and was there for seven months. He then returned to Little Falls, and he and Mr. Joseph O'Brien formed a partnership under the firm name of the Peerless Finish Company, and manufactured a preparation for the finishing of leather. They continued the business until 1921, when Mr. Cooper bought out his partner's interest and incorporated the business under the name of the Peerless Leather Finish Corporation. Mr. Frank Senior is president and Mr. Cooper is secretary and treasurer and also the general manager.
On June 18, 1913, at Little Falls, Raymond Edward Cooper was united in marriage to Miss Mary Senior, who was born on July 13, 1886, at Little Falls, and is the daughter of Frank and Elizabeth (Hebert) Senior of this city. Mrs. Cooper is a member of the Little Falls Presbyterian church and of the Ladies Missionary Society, of which she has been an active member and held office for a number of years.
Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are the parents of two children: Francis Senior Cooper was born on September 8, 1916, and died on October 10, 1923; Raymond Edward Cooper, Jr., was born on September 29, 1920. Mr. Cooper is president of the Cooper Watts Cotton Company, Incorporated, of Little Falls, and a member of the Little Falls Chamber of Commerce, and of the American Chemical Society. His church affiliations are in the Presbyterian church of his home city, and in politics he is a republican. He has an extensive circle of friends and no plan or movement for the benefit of the city along lines of progress and improvement seeks his aid in vain.