For 46 years George R. Cooper was connected with the Purdue University School of Electrical Engineering as either a student or a faculty member. Cooper received his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from Purdue, and upon receiving his PhD in 1949, joined the faculty of the School of Electrical Engineering. He concentrated his research in the areas of communication theory and system analysis. From 1965 to 1969, he was assistant head for graduate study, and in 1975 he became coordinator of graduate study, a position he held until he retired in 1985.

Cooper is listed as the inventor or co-inventor on 10 patents in standard radio frequency noise generators, system identification with correlation techniques, ultrasonic medical diagnosis, and spread-spectrum cellular communication systems. He is the author or co-author of 6 textbooks and has 75 published technical papers. Cooper has consulted on radar system analysis, automatic control systems, sonar arrays, seismic signal processing for the petroleum industry, and spread spectrum communications systems. Although officially retired from academia, Cooper serves as a principal scientist/engineer for Hughes Missile Systems Company.

A member of Eta Kappa Nu, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Sigma Xi, Cooper is a Life Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He now resides in Alta Loma, California.