Henry Cooper (educator)

Sir William Henry Cooper CBE (2 October 1909 – 4 September 1990) was a New Zealand educator who served as headmaster of Auckland Grammar School from 1954 to 1972, and later as chancellor of the University of Auckland. He was also a noted sportsman, playing representative cricket and field hockey for Auckland teams.

Born in Leam, Derbyshire, Cooper was raised in New Zealand, on a farm at Waiuku. He attended Auckland Grammar School on a Rawlings Scholarship and went on to Auckland University College, then part of the University of New Zealand, from where he graduated Master of Arts with second-class honours in 1933.

A right-handed middle-order batsman, Cooper played first-class cricket for Auckland during wartime, when interprovincial matches were played but the Plunket Shield was not contested. On debut against Wellington in February 1942, he came in fourth in the batting order, after Auckland's captain, Herb Pearson, and scored 28 runs in Auckland's only innings. Cooper's final two matches at first-class level came two seasons later, in December 1943 and January 1944. In the first of those matches, again against Wellington, he scored 52 runs in Auckland's first innings of 438/7 declared, his only half-century. He was less successful while batting in his final first-class match, against Canterbury, but took his only first-class wicket, having Francis O'Brien caught by Ces Burke.