Exhibit 99.1

                    Certification of Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 'SS'1350, as created by Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the undersigned officer of The Cooper Companies,
Inc. (the "Company") hereby certifies that:

         (i) To his knowledge, the accompanying Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of
     the Company for the quarterly period ended January 31, 2003 (the "Report")
     fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d), as
     applicable, of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

         (ii) To his knowledge, the information contained in the Report fairly
     presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of
     operations of the Company.

     Dated: March 17, 2003                  /s/ A. Thomas Bender
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            A. Thomas Bender
                                            Chairman of the Board, President and
                                            Chief Executive Officer

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