Donor Family Gifts $100M To Cooper University Health System In South Jersey

CAMDEN, NJ — A family with a long history of service to South Jersey donated $100 million to Cooper University Health Care/MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper, the network said.

The gift is the largest single philanthropic donation in Cooper's history and one of the highest amounts ever given to any health system in the Garden State.

The money will be used to build education and community programs that create jobs, training, and opportunities within the City of Camden and Cooper's larger South Jersey region.

The gift was provided by George E. Norcross III in honor of multiple generations across his family.

The Norcross name has been linked with Cooper for more than 50 years, more than a third of the health system's history.

In honor of this legacy, Cooper will be renamed to add "Norcross" into its title.

Norcross III and his three brothers were all born at Cooper Hospital. Their father, George Jr., served on the Cooper Hospital Board of Trustees from 1976 to 1983 as a "quiet but forceful" advocate for having high-quality healthcare in the city.

This came at a time where other facilities were relocating to the suburbs.

According to Cooper, Norcross Jr. and former Governor James Florio were among the earliest advocates for bringing a medical school to South Jersey and led to Cooper Medical School of Rowan University opening in 2012.

The boys' mother, Anne Carol Norcross, devoted years to helping seniors and underserved residents in the city through her work at the Camden County Senior Citizens Center.

George III began serving on the Cooper Board of Trustees in 1990 and is the longest-serving Chairman and Board officer in its history.

His brother, Philip, is the Chairman of The Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees and Vice Chairman of the Cooper Health System Board of Trustees.

He also is on the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, and Treasury Subcommittee.

Alessandra, also known as "Lexie," is George III's daughter and serves on The Cooper Foundation Board. She is also the president of the Norcross Foundation.

Along with its affiliation with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, the health system operates MD Anderson Cancer Center and three hospitals in the region.

According to Cooper, more than 2.54 million patients visit its facilities annually.

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