Barry Cooper, Class of 1984 and 1992, was an extension agent in 1988 in Coleman when he heard of a job opening with the international agricultural corporation Cargill. Cooper applied, got the position and began a successful 18-year career with one of the world’s largest food producers.

Agricultural products – beef in particular – weren’t unfamiliar to Cooper, whose grandfather George Cooper and father, Tommy Cooper, opened the renowned Cooper’s barbecue restaurants in Mason and Llano.  

Barry Cooper entered Angelo State University after graduating from Llano High School in 1980 to major in animal science and agribusiness. He financed his education through scholarships and part-time jobs, earning the Dauson Coleman Ag Scholarship three times and the Kate Adell Hill Ag Scholarship twice.   While attending ASU, Cooper met his wife Karla, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Angelo State in 1983 and a master’s in 1985.

With 149,000 employees in 63 countries, Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services.  Beginning as an Assistant Territory Manager, Cooper was promoted after two months of a twelve month training program.  He continued to excel and expertly climbed the corporate ladder to the position of District General Manager, Animal Nutrition Division in Cargill’s Oklahoma City district office.    He was directly responsible for a business unit that consisted of $10.2 million of Cargill’s assets and generated over $100 million in annual sales. 

Cooper kept busy outside the office, too, finishing his master’s degree from ASU in 1992, judging livestock shows and serving as a superintendent at San Angelo’s and other cities’ livestock shows. He also served a term as a member on the West Branch, Iowa, city council.

He currently sits on the racing committee of the American Quarter Horse Association and is, in fact, part-owner of numerous quarter horses that race in California and New Mexico.  Teller Cartel, one of his horses and a long-shot, became the surprise winner of the 2005 $2 million All-American Futurity at Ruidoso Downs.

Also in 2005, after being with Cargill 18 years and through nine positions, Cooper opted to leave Cargill in 2005 to spend time more with his family. Cooper’s career had taken him, Karla and his daughter Kylie all over the country. With Kylie in high school, the family decided to remain in Edmond, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, where he spends his time franchising the name of his family’s business, Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar B-Que.

It is with great pride that the ASU Alumni Association recognizes Barry Cooper for his outstanding career achievements by naming him the 2006 Angelo State University Distinguished Alumnus.