Richard Anthony Cooper (born 1947), Master of

St Benet's Hall, Oxford St Benet's Hall (known colloquially as Benet's) was a permanent private hall (PPH) of the University of Oxford, originally a Roman Catholic religious house of studies. It closed down in 2022. The principal building was located at the northern en ...

, from September 2018 until September 2022, is Emeritus Professor of

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

in the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at Oxford University. Cooper is also an

Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

Fellow of

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

and former Chairman of the Faculty Board of Modern Languages of the University of Oxford.www.mod-langs.ox.ac.uk
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Career

Educated at Manchester Grammar School, introduced by Donald Adamson to foreign languages, Cooper went up to

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

where he read

and Italian. Cooper taught French at the University of Lancaster from 1971, before returning to Oxford in 1977 as a tutor in French at Brasenose College, before being appointed Reader in 1996 and subsequently Professor in 1998. He is a member of the Académie des Sciences, Belles Lettres et Arts and of the Institut des Sciences de l'Homme, Lyon. Professor Cooper was selected as a torchbearer for the

2012 Summer Olympics Torch Relay The 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay was run from 19 May until 27 July, prior to the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The torch bearer selection process was announced on 18 May 2011. As well as touring the United Kingdom the schedule included the t ...

, reflecting his 40 years of service to sport at the Oxford University, including 15 years as Chairman of the University Sports Committee.

Honours

Commandeur_de_l'Ordre_des_Palmes_Académiques_avers

Appointed Officier dans l' ordre des Palmes Académiques in 1996 (promoted Commandeur in 2012), Cooper also became Commendatore dell'Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in 2003.

Selected publications

* Rabelais et l'Italie (1991) * Litteræ in tempore belli: Études sur les relations littéraires italo-françaises pendant les guerres d'Italie (1997) * Maurice Scève: The Entry of Henri II into Lyon, September 1548, text with an introduction and notes (1997) * Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel, trans. Sir Thomas Urquhart (1999) * Contributor: Jean du Bellay, Poemata, with G. Demerson (2007) * Chrétiens et mondains, poèmes épars: vol. 8 of Œuvres complètes de Marguerite de Navarre (2007).

References

External links

www.mod-langs.ox.ac.uk

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Richard 1947 births Living people People educated at Manchester Grammar School Alumni of New College, Oxford Academics of Lancaster University Linguists from the United Kingdom Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford Academics of the University of Oxford Commandeurs of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques Commanders of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Masters of St Benet's Hall, Oxford