The Chaminade University Hogan Entrepreneurial Program presented its first Entrepreneurial Lifetime Achievement Award to Clifford D. Cooper, an entrepreneur whose accomplishments include founding an aerospace company that manufactured the rockets used to launch the first U.S. satellites into orbit.

The award was presented last week at the schools graduation ceremonies by Ed and Lynn Hogan, founders of Pleasant Holiday Travel and the Hogan Family Foundation.

Cooper, 92, was the founder of the Cooper Development Corporation, whose rocket carried America's first satellites into space. He also was a founder of Manufacturer's Bank of Southern California and the national president of the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was also a board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Hoover Commission, director of the U.S. Small Business Administration and an adviser to the Secretary of Defense.

"Cliff Cooper is an outstanding example of an entrepreneur who recognizes the importance of entrepreneurship to our nation's economic development while remaining equally mindful of the social implications of his work. He is a remarkable man and we are delighted to recognize him in this way," said Brother Bernard Ploeger, president of Chaminade University.