Ĭooper began reading French literature at 15 and was drawn to Marquis de Sade in particular for his risqué depictions of libertine sex. He attended Pasadena City College and Pitzer College. Cooper attended public schools before he started attending Flintridge Preparatory School in high school he was expelled in 11th grade. Cooper's parents divorced when he was in his early teens. One of his brothers, Richard, was named after Nixon. His parents were politically conservative, with his father acting as an advisor to several presidents, including Richard Nixon, with whom he cultivated a close friendship. Cooper was born in Pasadena, California and raised in Arcadia, the son of Clifford Cooper, a self-made businessman who was one of the early designers of parts for unmanned space expeditions.
