The University’s celebration of “Martin Luther King and Maurice Stokes Legacy Week” kicked off on Jan. 20 with the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Convocation.
Chuck Cooper III delivered the keynote address at the convocation.
Cooper is the son of Chuck Cooper Jr., the first African-American to be drafted into the National Basketball Association. The elder Cooper was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 13th pick in the 1950 NBA Draft.
He was a mentor to Maurice Stokes, a star basketball player at Saint Francis who was also a trailblazing Black player in the NBA. The two men both graduated from Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh.
Cooper III provided a thorough presentation on his father’s legacy and his important role in breaking down racial barriers, both during his collegiate career at Duquesne and as a player with the Celtics from 1950-56.
“The one thing that I promised my father was that I would get my degree and be successful, but I also told him that I would give back,” said Cooper.
Cooper’s father died in 1984 at age 57.
Cooper III serves as the president and CEO of the Chuck Cooper Foundation and leads Chuck Cooper Enterprises.
His foundation has distributed more than $400,000 in scholarships to students from the Pittsburgh area. It works with middle and high school students on developing skills in financial literacy, college/career readiness and personal development.
Prior to being selected by the Celtics in 1950, Cooper Jr. initially signed with the Harlem Globetrotters, believing that he would not be picked up by an NBA team since no franchise in the league had every drafted a Black player.
That barrier came down on April 25, 1950, when Celtics owner Walter Brown and head coach Red Auerbach drafted Cooper Jr. “I don’t give a damn if he’s striped, plaid or polka dot,” said Brown during the draft. “Boston takes Charles Cooper of Duquesne.”
After his basketball career, Cooper Jr. continued to trailblaze a path, becoming a leader in his community. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and became the city of Pittsburgh’s first African-American department director.
He later became the first African-American executive of Pittsburgh National Bank, now PNC, and oversaw the bank’s affirmative action program.
“One of the things that amazes me today is how much young people respect and appreciate hearing about my father’s legacy,” said Cooper. “It warms my heart.”
Cooper Jr. was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019 and Duquesne named its basketball arena the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in 2021.
The NBA created the Chuck Cooper Trophy that same year. It is awarded annually to the winner of the Pacific Division. In 2022, Point Park University created the Chuck Cooper and Josh Gibson Center for Equity and Education.
“I never do anything with my father’s name if it doesn’t have an educational component,” said Cooper III. “If it doesn’t help under-served people, I won’t do it.
“My goal is to make sure that my father’s legacy is never forgotten. I want to continue his work of community service, helping people and opening doors for success.”
