Graham Cooper

Graham Cooper was a member of the Oxford crew that made up the Great Britain crew at the 1960 Roma Olympics, and only came into the final VIII as the spare man after David Rutherford was injured. The GB crew failed to make the final after finishing second in their repêchage heat.

Having already rowed during his time at Eton, Cooper continued with the sport after going to Keble College, Oxford, in 1959. He rowed with the University reserve crew Isis in 1960 and was then selected as spare man for the Olympics. Also in 1960, Cooper won the Oxford Pairs with John Chester by beating fellow Oxford men Richard Bate and C. R. Holden in the final.

Cooper won his rowing Blue in 1961. During the race against Cambridge, however, he passed out when Oxford were leading, and they went on to lose to their rivals. The following year Cooper was in the Keble four that beat Chelsea College to win the Visitors’ Challenge Cup at Henley.

After University, Cooper spent 20 years in the steel business but left the industry in the 1980s following a cancer diagnosis, and he subsequently worked at raising money for charities. Cooper’s daughter-in-law Caz Bailey also rowed for Keble College