Dear Purdue Community,
It is with great sadness that I must tell you that Professor Arnie Cooper has passed away. Some of you know that Arnie has been struggling with illness for the past few years. While I don't know Arnie the way that many of you do, let me provide a personal view. In our profession, there are some gracious and unassuming individuals. There are some accomplished scholars. There are some talented and gifted teachers and leaders.
But there are very few who encompass all of these characteristics - Arnie was one such unique and outstanding individual in so many, many dimensions.
With his passing, we have all lost someone very special and very unique. I hope you'll reach out to his family with support but also remember the very best of your experiences with Arnie. As for me, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with him last year and see his incredible penchant for water colors and painting! His personal creativity and joy of exploration was unceasing.
Our friend and colleague will be very missed.
Chris Earley
Dean, Krannert School of Management at Purdue University