William John Cooper (November 24, 1882 – September 19, 1935) was an American educator who served as US Commissioner of Education from February 1929 to July 1933. According to the New York Times: "His fundamental theory of education, which he often repeated, was that the ultimate goal of teaching should be, not how to make a living, but how to live. Nevertheless, he believed that the education system in this country should break away from the older traditions of Europe and seek to express the cultural developments of the New World. In one of his last public addresses, Dr. Cooper urged a complete reorganization of the education system in this country to bring the schools into closer harmony with modern conditions." Source: Wikipedia (en)