McMinnville Building to Honor Late Senator

March 11, 2025

Motlow State is pleased to announce that the original McMinnville campus building on Cadillac Lane will soon be named the Jerry W. Cooper Center. The naming will honor the late Tennessee senator whose dedication to his community and to education played a vital role in the College’s success. Cooper was a friend, advocate, and champion of Motlow State. His legacy lives on in the facilities and programs he helped to create that continue to serve Motlow students today.

Pictured: ARTC Director Larry Flatt, Executive Director of Community Relations Brenda Cannon, Director of High School Initiatives Sally Pack, and Motlow President Dr. Michael Torrence.

Cooper was a state senator from 1984 to 2007 and an avid supporter of the College for approximately 40 years, serving over 20 of those years as a trustee. He lived in Warren County and was particularly passionate about helping those in his community have better access to a quality post-secondary education.

Through his efforts, Motlow State received $18 million dollars that went toward the creation of the McMinnville Center, the Don Sundquist Center, the Clayton-Glass Library, and the Marcum Technology Center. He also secured an additional $3.2 million-dollar grant from the Department of Labor that allowed the Mechatronics Program, one of Motlow’s most popular pathways, to be offered on both the Smyrna and McMinnville campuses.

His selfless love of helping others has benefited generations of families in seeking new opportunities and better lives. It is for this reason that Motlow’s Building Naming Committee unanimously decided to have the McMinnville Center bear his name while continuing to honor his life and mission.

According to Motlow Trustee Gary Morgan, “If anybody loved Warren County, Motlow College, family, and friends, it was Cooper. He used his position as state senator to improve the lives of his constituents by focusing on two things: education and roads. He knew these two things would change the trajectory of the district and community and improve the quality of life for everyone.”

Cooper passed in March of 2020, but his name will forever be tied to Motlow and the impact that the College has had throughout its 11-county service area.

To learn more about the McMinnville campus, visit Motlow.edu/McMinnville.