George T.H. Cooper

Mr. George T.H. Cooper CM, CD, QC has recently retired from the practice of law with the Atlantic Canada law firm of McInnes Cooper.  During his 50 year career he had two “time outs”: first in 1979-80 when he served as Member of Parliament for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice of Canada; and then in 2012-16 when he served as President and Vice Chancellor of the University of King’s College, Halifax.

Mr. Cooper also recently retired as Managing Trustee of the Killam Trusts, comprising some $500 million of educational endowments at five Canadian universities and the Canada Council for the Arts.  He is a former member of the Boards of the Canadian National Railway Co., Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Institute of Corporate Directors.  He has also served on the Boards of Governors of Dalhousie University and of the University of King’s College (Chair, 2001-2007), and was the first Canadian Chair of the Foundation of Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America (the Fulbright Scholarship).

Mr. Cooper is a Member of the Order of Canada, holds the Canadian Forces Decoration as a former Honorary Colonel, and was awarded the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals.  A former Honorary Consul for Sweden in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador, he was made a Commander of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, in 2012.

A Rhodes Scholar, Mr. Cooper received his B.Sc. and LL.B. degrees from Dalhousie University and his B.C.L. degree from Oxford University.  He holds Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Dalhousie, King’s, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

Mr. Cooper is married to Tia Cooper; they are blessed with six grandchildren ranging in age from eight to fourteen.