Joe Cooper selected Lincoln as the headquarters for his business and his foundation. Upon his death in 1946 he left the Cooper Theatres to the Foundation. The Board of Trustees grew the business for over 30 years, with all profits going to charity, until its sale in the late 1970s. Since the Foundation was formed it has given over $29 million to support organizations, scholarships, programs, and projects in Lincoln and throughout Nebraska in the arts, civic and community engagement, community improvement, education, the environment, the humanities, and human services. Mr. Cooper’s success in business and foresight in creating the Cooper Foundation are the key building blocks that underpin our work today.
