This Day in Norwood History-April 28, 1965-Bernard S. Cooper Named National Merit Scholar

Bernard S. Cooper, a member of the Senior Class at Norwood High School and son of Mr. and Mrs. Otis A. Cooper of 337 Nichols Street, has been named a National Merit Scholar by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation of Evanston, Illinois.

Young Cooper joins a select group of scholars from across the country who are honored for their scholastic achievement and promises oí continued achievement at college and graduate levels. Every Merit Scholarship is individually determined and is designated in two ways: National Merit Scholar or Sponsored Merit Scholar. The first is awarded and financed by NMSC out of funds provided in the founding grants The other type is supported by business corporations, foundations, colleges, unions, professional organizations, trusts, etc. Such scholarships hear the name of their sponsors.

The tenth annual Merit Program in which Cooper triumphed began in March, 1964, when 807,000 students in 17,162 schools took the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). This examination was a three-hour test of educational development covering five areas. English usage, social studies, reading, natural science reading, mathematics usage, and word usage.

About 14,000 students then became semi-finalists, the number in each state determined by a representation system based on the number of high school graduating seniors in that state. About 97% of the semifinalist repeat their high NMSQT performance in the second test. From this group, the Merit Scholars are chosen by a Selection Committee, a panel of experts in academic selection.

National Merit Scholars are chosen without regard to preferential criteria of any kind. In making their judgments committee members evaluate test scores, high school grades, creative achievement outside the classroom, qualities of leadership, school and community citizenship, extracurricular activities, high school officials’ endorsements, and similar data made available by the high school.

Bernard has been a two-year member of the Norwood High School National Honor Society chapter and presently serves as co-editor of TIOT 1965, the Norwood High School yearbook. In 1963 he helped to found the Norwood Recreational Stamp Club, an organization in which he served as president and advisor. He has also been interested in state and local politics, having worked closely with Senator John Quinlan in his recent successful bid for a seat in the State Senate.

Bernard hopes to enroll at Tufts College in Medford in 1965. He plans to major in the study of World History with particular emphasis on Far Eastern and Oriental political systems.

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)