{{Short description|Botanist (1890–1962)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}} {{Use British English|date=September 2017}} '''Roland Edgar Cooper''' FRSE FRSGS (16 June 1890 – 31 January 1962) was a British botanist and Curator of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh from 1936 to 1950.<ref name="Edinburgh1979">{{cite book | author = Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh | title = Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=1bBKAAAAYAAJ | year = 1979 | publisher = H.M. Stationery Office | pages = 359– }}</ref> Within the Gardens the '''Roland Edgar Cooper Collection''' stems from his own work. A number of species found by him bear the name ''Cooperi''.<ref>{{cite book | title = The Quarterly Bulletin of the American Rhododendron Society | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hDlQAAAAYAAJ | volume = 9-11 | year = 1955 | publisher = The Society | pages = 96– }}</ref> A large number of Rhododendrons collected by Cooper continue to grow in the Gardens.<ref name="srgc.net">{{cite web | url = http://files.srgc.net/fund/RECooper.pdf | title = A Founder Member: Roland Edgar Cooper (1890–1962) | last = Elliot | first = Alan | accessdate = 5 November 2015 }}</ref>

== Life ==

He was born at Kingston-on-Thames in 1890,<ref name="Edinburgh1962">{{cite book | author = Royal Society of Edinburgh | title = Year Book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=4YE7AQAAIAAJ | year = 1962 | publisher = Royal Society of Edinburgh. | pages = 10– }}</ref> and was apparently orphaned aged only four and later raised by his aunt Emma.<ref name="srgc.net" /> Her husband, William Wright Smith, later became Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, creating Roland's link to his future role.<ref name="rbge.org.uk">{{cite web | url = http://www.rbge.org.uk/assets/files/science/Library%20-Archives/GB235REC_RolandEdgarCooper.pdf | title = The Roland Edgar Cooper Collection at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh | publisher = Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh | accessdate = 5 November 2015 }}</ref>

In 1907 he travelled to India with his uncle to study and collect samples in Sikkim, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan until 1910.<ref name="Hadfield1960">{{cite book | author = Miles Hadfield | title = Gardening in Britain | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=RUJxAAAAIAAJ | year = 1960 | publisher = Hutchison, covered by label; Newton, Mass., C. T. Branford | pages = 414– | quote = J Bulley engaged Roland Edgar Cooper (b. 1890) to travel in ... When the latter went to India in 1907 Cooper went with him, and until 1910 studied both botany and horticulture at the Calcutta and Darjeeling botanic gardens. Then followed a ... }}</ref> This was aided by the local collector and plant expert, Rohmoo Lapcha. He then came to Edinburgh to undertake a Horticulture course at the Royal Botanic Garden. In 1913 he returned to India (without his uncle) and travelled more widely in search of species, beginning in the Himalayas. He again explored Sikkim and in 1914–15 returned to Bhutan, before exploring the Punjab in 1916.<ref name="rbge.org.uk1">{{cite web | url = http://stories.rbge.org.uk/archives/4224 | title = Roland Edgar Cooper (1890–1967) | date = 12 July 2013 | publisher = Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh | accessdate = 6 November 2015 }}</ref>

In the second half of the First World War, he served as an officer with the 1st Gurkha Rifles in north-west India. He was later attached to the Royal Flying Corps and stationed at Alexandria, Egypt in 1918–19.<ref name="rbge.org.uk1" />

Staying mentally attached to the Indian subcontinent, he took on the role of Superintendent of the Botanic Gardens at Maymyo in the Shan Hills of Burma in 1921. Now married and with a young family, he returned to Britain in the late 1920s for the sake of his children's education.

In 1930 he returned to Edinburgh as Assistant Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens. In 1934, he became full Curator (Head Keeper) of the Gardens.<ref name="rbge.org.uk" /><ref name="Edinburgh1938">{{cite book | author = Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh | title = Notes from the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dalKAAAAYAAJ | volume = 19-20 | year = 1938 | publisher = H. M. Stationery Off. | pages = v– }}</ref> During the early 1930s, he was also responsible for laying out the grounds of Astley Ainslie Hospital.<ref name="rbge.org.uk1" /> During his curatorship he lived in the East Gate Lodge with his wife, Emily.<ref name="srgc.net" /> During this period (1930–54) fellow botanist John Macqueen Cowan worked alongside Cooper.

In 1942 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Scotland. His proposers included his uncle, by this time Sir William Wright Smith, Thomas Rowatt and Ernest Shearer.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf | title = Former Fellows of The Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 | accessdate = 6 November 2015 }}</ref>

He retired in 1950 and moved with his wife, Emily, to Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex. He died at Southend-on-Sea on 31 January 1962, aged 71.

== Species described by Cooper == {{botanist|R.E.Cooper|inline=yes}} * ''Primula calderiana'' Balf.f. & R.E.Cooper * ''Primula xanthopia'' Balf.f. & R.E.Cooper * ''Rhododendron agripeplum'' Balf.f. & R.E.Cooper * ''Rhododendron papillatum'' Balf.f. & R.E.Cooper

== Species bearing his name == * ''Parnassia cooperi'' W.E.Evans * ''Pedicularis cooperi'' P.C.Tsoong * ''Poa cooperi'' Noltie * ''Primula cooperi'' Balf.f. * ''Rubus cooperi'' D.G.Long

== References ==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Roland Edgar}} Category:1890 births Category:1962 deaths Category:British botanists Category:People associated with Edinburgh Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh