and conflicts within and without the ranks of the race, some of our women are eminent, among whom is Mrs. A. J. Cooper, who was born in Raleigh, N. C. , August 10, 1858.
xt a very early age she entered St. Augustine Normal School, being among the first boarding pupils at that institution. When she was possibly about eleven years old she was given a class as student-teacher, which was the beginning of her career as teacher, in which profession she has continued to this day. She was married in 1877 to Rev. G. A. C. Cooper, of Nassau, New Providence, West Indies, who was, at the time of marriage (1877), a teacher in St. Augustine School and pastor of the St. Augustine Church at Raleigh, N. C. In 1879 her husband died and left her a widow only twenty-one years old.
After filling with much credit in this school many positions, such as pupil-teacher, teacher, matron, and lady in charge of female department, etc., she left in 1881 for Oberlin College, where she entered the sophomore class, upon examination. While thus engaged in study in the classical department she taught classes in the preparatory department, and the Students in the classes taught by this Afro-American lady were white students.
She was also the private teacher of a class of white students outside of school hours. She graduated in 1884, and spent one year at Wilberforce University (1884-'85) as professor of modern languages and science. Then she returned to St. Augustine Normal School at
