Biography.guide
Home › People › Botanist › William Cooper
Portrait of William Cooper

William Cooper

1798 – 1864

American naturalist and conchologist

Botanist Zoologist Explorer
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William Cooper

Lived 1798 – 1864 (aged 65–66). William Cooper was an American botanist, zoologist, explorer, ornithologist and malacologist.

William Cooper (1798–1864) was an American naturalist, conchologist (shell zoologist) and collector.

Early life Cooper studied zoology in Europe from 1821 to 1824, and afterwards travelled to Nova Scotia, Kentucky and the Bahamas collecting specimens.

Career Although he was not an author himself his specimens were of great help to others, such as John James Audubon, Charles Lucien Bonaparte and Thomas Nuttall.

Cooper was one of the founders of the New York Lyceum of Natural History (later the New York Academy of Sciences), and the first American member of the Zoological Society of London. Bonaparte named Cooper's hawk for him, after Cooper collected a specimen of it in 1828.

Personal life He was father of James Graham Cooper (1830–1902) a physician and famous naturalist in his own right.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1798
Birth century
18th century
Died
1864
Occupation
Botanist, zoologist, explorer, ornithologist, malacologist
Nationality
United States
Awards
Fellow of the Zoological Society of London
Also known as
W.Cooper

People in William Cooper's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Portrait of James Graham
James Graham
1856 – 1913
Physician
 Portrait of Lucien Bonaparte
Lucien Bonaparte
1775 – 1840
Politician
 Portrait of Thomas Nuttall
Thomas Nuttall
1786 – 1859
Botanist
 Portrait of Charles Lucien Bonaparte
Charles Lucien Bonaparte
1803 – 1857
Ornithologist
 Portrait of James Graham Cooper
James Graham Cooper
1830 – 1902
Botanist
 Portrait of John James Audubon
John James Audubon
1785 – 1851
Botanist
 Portrait of John James
John James
1838 – 1902
Military personnel

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Cooper's

Portrait of Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
1763 – 1829
Chemist
 Portrait of William Hyde Wollaston
William Hyde Wollaston
1766 – 1828
Chemist
 Portrait of Joseph Fourier
Joseph Fourier
1768 – 1830
Mathematician
 Portrait of Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
1769 – 1859
Geologist
 Portrait of Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
1769 – 1832
Paleontologist
 Portrait of Robert Brown
Robert Brown
1773 – 1858
Botanist

Frequently asked questions

Who was William Cooper?

American naturalist and conchologist (1798-1864)

When was William Cooper born?

William Cooper was born in 1798.

When did William Cooper die?

William Cooper died in 1864.

What was William Cooper's occupation?

William Cooper was a botanist, zoologist, explorer, ornithologist and malacologist.

What nationality was William Cooper?

William Cooper was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Cooper

· Wikidata: Q3078870

· DBpedia: William Cooper (conchologist)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Cooper. https://biography.guide/william-cooper-botanist/

MLA: "William Cooper." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-cooper-botanist/.

Chicago: "William Cooper." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-cooper-botanist/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-26 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:16 UTC