Henceforth, whenever a group of musicians at Arkansas Tech University gathers to rehearse and prepare in the band room at Witherspoon Hall, they will do so in the Hal Cooper Sr. Band Hall.
The ATU band room was formally dedicated as such during a ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 27.
“In ways large and small for the last 12 years, I have often asked myself what would Hal Cooper do,” said Dr. Daniel A. Belongia, ATU professor of music and director of bands at Arkansas Tech since 2015. “If I could think of the answer to that, I was probably on the right track to doing the right thing. As I’ve thought about the naming of this room in that regard…among the many ways I’m grateful and excited about it…I’m grateful for the opportunity to see his smiling face looking at me every day. It’s going to help keep ‘what would Hal Cooper do?’ in the front of my mind.”
Cooper served as director of bands at Arkansas Tech University from 1979-2011.
He was named ATU professor emeritus of music in 2013, and he received the highest honor the university may bestow upon an individual — induction into the ATU Hall of Distinction — in 2017.
Cooper died on April 15, 2026, following a brief illness. He was 81.
“It is always meaningful to dedicate a space on a university campus, but I think this occasion is especially meaningful because of the connection between the person we are honoring and the room we are naming in his honor,” said Dr. Jeff Bright, head of the ATU Department of Music and associate dean for the ATU College of Arts and Humanities. “Hal Cooper Sr. spent the majority of his career at Arkansas Tech…more than 30 years in this classroom. This was a place where he taught, rehearsed, challenged, encouraged and mentored generations of music students. Over those years, hundreds of lives were influenced in this room along with countless musical moments that became part of the memories of the students who experienced them.
“Hal continued the tradition of excellence established by those who came before him, including Marvin Williamson and Gene Witherspoon,” continued Bright. “He carried that tradition forward through his teaching, musicianship and commitment to students. I think that is what makes the naming of this room particularly meaningful. This is not simply a room where classes take place. It is a place where students have learned what it means to be a musician, a teacher, a colleague and a professional. And now, every time students enter this space, they will be reminded of the tradition and standard we have been fortunate to inherit. They will also be reminded that traditions do not maintain themselves. Each generation that comes through these doors must uphold the standard. That is a responsibility we all share, and I think there is no better way to honor Hal Cooper than to continue the work he dedicated his career to.”
Cooper is one of only five individuals to hold the title of director of bands during the more than 110-year tradition of instrumental music at Arkansas Tech.
“Not only did (Cooper) fill Chief Witherspoon’s shoes, he actually took us to the next level over the years he spent here at Arkansas Tech,” said Dr. Russell Jones, ATU president. “I got to know Hal, and I loved his personality and his sense of humor. Two things I could definitely tell were that he absolutely loved music and he really loved Arkansas Tech. Today’s honor is well deserved. One of the things we’re known for on this campus is our music. If you go anywhere in the state and ask where Arkansas’ Band of Distinction is from, everybody knows it is Russellville and Arkansas Tech. It’s a great honor to memorialize Hal Cooper in this room.”
The ATU Department of Music immortalized Cooper’s career and contributions in November 2021 with the establishment of the Hal Cooper Repertoire Collection.
In fall 2025, Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center announced that remastered digital recordings from Cooper’s years leading the ATU marching band had been created and shared online at https://orc.library.atu.edu/atu_band_cooper/index.html.
“I can remember coming here since I was 5,” said Clay Cooper, son of Hal Cooper Sr. “This is a magical place that Hal Cooper dedicated most of his professional career to and shared with so many of us. It wasn’t just a band room to him. It wasn’t just a place where we read music and blew air through horns. It was home for a lot of folks. It was where world-class musicians played their first important pieces. This is where people who would go on to become nationally-respected educators learned how to dig deeper into music and its meaning. It was where, every Saturday, drum cadences started up, batons started spinning, flags started twirling and Sousaphones started hopscotching their way to the stadium. Some of you I’ve known for years started your families in this room. Some of you found your families in this room.
“Beyond basic competence on an instrument, Hal Cooper only had two requirements: a dedication to the craft and the art, and an openness of heart and mind,” continued Clay Cooper. “When you stepped through these doors, you were going to be included, but you were going to be asked to hear and play and feel things in a way you probably hadn’t before. As long as you could show up here every time you were asked to be here with those two things in mind, you got to experience real magic. Today, with the Cooper name going up in the building, I think we all get to have a moment to remember how lucky we were to be a part of it.”
Cooper served as president of the Southwest Division of the College Band Directors National Association, president of Arkansas Phi Beta Mu and district governor of Kappa Kappa Psi college band service fraternity.
He was named Arkansas Bandmaster of the Year in 1988, and he achieved membership in the American Bandmaster Association in 1992.
“On behalf of my father and my entire family, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Arkansas Tech University, the administration, the music department and everyone who made this incredible honor possible, especially Dr. Dan Belongia,” said Hal Cooper Jr. “To see my father’s name on this band hall is deeply moving for us. Music was not just a job or a hobby for him…it was his life’s passion. He poured his heart into his students, into the music and into this community. He believed that a band room isn’t just a place to practice. It’s a place where teamwork, discipline and lifelong friendships are built.
“Knowing that future generations of ATU musicians will walk through these doors, look up and see his name and picture fills all of us with immense pride,” continued Hal Cooper Jr. “We know his spirit and his love for music will live on through every note played inside these walls. He always told me that music builds character and community, and when I look around, I know what he meant.”
