Carol Marie Cooley committed much of her life to creating opportunities for others.
Her memory and spirit will remain alive at Arkansas Tech University due to provisions she made in her estate plan.
Cooley, who passed away Nov. 23, 2021, left $39,000 to the ATU Foundation for the benefit of the Arkansas Tech intercollegiate women’s tennis program. The gift includes an endowment that will generate funds into perpetuity.
“On behalf of the student-athletes who will benefit from this act of kindness, I express my appreciation for Ms. Cooley’s generosity and thoughtfulness,” said Abby Davis, interim director of athletics and head tennis coach at ATU. “By keeping her memory alive in this way, we can celebrate and be inspired by the example she set during her lifetime.”
Cooley was born in St. Louis and raised in Arkansas. She attended Hendrix College, and along the way she developed an affinity for Arkansas Tech when she took tennis classes offered through the ATU Department of Health and Physical Education.
Upon her graduation from Hendrix, Cooley returned to her native Missouri and invested her career in teaching children with disabilities. She coached basketball, track and swimming, remained an active tennis player and was a mentor in the Campfire Girls organization.
Cooley was 81 and a resident of Kansas City, Mo., at the time of her passing.
Information about supporting student access and success at Arkansas Tech with a gift through the ATU Foundation is available at www.atualumni.com or by calling (479) 968-0400.
