Cooper was the fourth son of the Rev. William Waldo Cooper, M.A., Rural Dean of Walshcroft, Rector of
West Rasen,
Lincolnshire, and
Justice of the Peace of the Parts of Lindsey. Cooper was educated at
Rossall School and at
Loughborough Grammar School and served as a pupil from 1879 to 1882 and later an assistant from 1882 to 1887 at the office of
James Mansergh, then President of the
Institution of Civil Engineers, Westminster. During that time he became Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Fellow of the
Royal Sanitary Institute. In 1891, he was appointed
Director of Public Works. During his service, he built the Yau Ma Tei Pump Station which still exists today. He also played a role in the legislation of the Taipingshan Resumption Ordinance of 1895 and also during the
epidemic of plague in 1896. At the same time he was also appointed member of the
Executive and
Legislative Councils of Hong Kong, and appointed President of the
Sanitary Board in 1895. Cooper held these positions until 1897 when he was appointed Director of Public Works of Ceylon. In Ceylon, he was also member of the
Legislative Council of Ceylon, Waterworks Engineer for the city of Colombo and a member of the Harbour Board and the
Colombo Municipal Council. ==Honours==