Cooper Rawson

Sir Alfred Cooper Rawson (26 July 1876 – 11 January 1946) was a British businessman and Conservative Party politician. After a decade in local government, he sat in the House of Commons from 1922 to 1944.

Business career

Born in Leicester, Rawson established himself in the road stone industry, becoming chairman of several companies, including the Montsorrel Granite Company, the Endaby Stoney Stanton Granite Company, John Ellis and sons, and Durex Ltd. He was a delegate to the International Road Congress in 1923 and in 1926, and in 1930 he was president of the Granite Guild; the following year he was president of the Institute of Quarrying.

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

During World War I, he joined the Royal Naval Division as a sub-lieutenant, transferring in 1916 to the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR). He served the rest of the war with the RNVR at The Crystal Palace, becoming a temporary Lieutenant Commander.

Rawson remained involved with the RNVR after the war, and in 1925 was made an honorary commander, attached to the RNVR's Sussex Division; in 1940 he was made an honorary Captain of the RNVR.