COOPER, Brian E.

COOPER, Brian E. (Alton, IL 1954- ). Journalist at the Telegraph Herald, a division of Dubuque-based Woodward Communications, Inc., since 1986. His 30 years as executive editor, from May 1986 through 2016, represent the longest tenure of any senior editor at the Telegraph Herald. After requesting a reduced role as a transitional step toward retirement, Cooper on Jan. 1, 2017, became the Telegraph Herald’s editorial page editor and special projects resource. (1) He was succeeded as executive editor by Dubuque native Amy Gilligan, the first woman to hold the role. (2)

Cooper came to Dubuque after four years as editor of The Ottumwa (Iowa) Courier (1982-86). He also held newsroom management positions at the Winona (Minn.) Daily News (1981-82) and The Quincy (Ill.) Herald-Whig (1976-80).

Raised in the Chicago suburbs, he attended Western Illinois University for two years and then earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia (1976).

Cooper received the Iowa Newspaper Association’s two highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award (1994) and Master Editor-Publisher Award (2009). He received the Stephen Berry Free Press Champion Award from the Iowa Center of Public Affairs Journalism-IowaWatch in 2014. Cooper serves on several committees and boards that exist to protect the First Amendment, including the Iowa Newspaper Association's Government Relations Committee and Iowa Freedom of Information Council. For more than 35 years he has served as an expanded news media coordinator for use of cameras and electronic devices in covering Iowa court proceedings. (3)

During his editorship, the Telegraph Herald launched its website (January 1996), incorporated social media as a means of disseminating news, launched magazines, resumed Saturday publication after an absence of six decades (August 1988), and converted from weekday afternoon to every-morning publication (September 1996).

Cooper’s TH columns and editorials have received state and regional recognition. He has served as president of the Iowa Newspaper Foundation, Iowa Freedom of Information Council and Iowa Associated Press Managing Editors.

One of Cooper’s outside pursuits is writing non-fiction books, including sports biographies and commissioned family-corporate histories. Two of his three sports biographies are of Dubuque County natives: First Heisman: The Life of Jay Berwanger (2013, Crestwood Publishing) and Red Faber: A Biography of the Hall of Fame Spitball Pitcher (2007, McFarland & Co.). He also authored Ray Schalk: A Baseball Biography (2009, McFarland).

His corporate histories include McCoy Group: A History of Commitment to the Customer (2012) and Biggest Gamble on the Mississippi: The Story of the Robert and Ruth Kehl Family (2017, Crestwood Publishing), on Dubuque riverboat and restaurant entrepreneurs Robert KEHL and his wife, Ruth. A history on Farber Bag & Supply Company is projected for 2018 release.

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Sources:

Contributed material, Brian Cooper, e-mail, December 30, 2017 1. "TH Executive Editor to Take on New Role," Telegraph Herald, December 2, 2016, p. 3A 2. "Gilligan Named TH Executive Editor," Telegraph Herald, December 7, 2016, p. 3A 3. "Cooper Receives Free Press Award," Telegraph Herald, October 3, 2014, p. 3A

Farber Bag link http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=FARBER_BAG_AND_SUPPLY_COMPANY

Amy Gilligan link http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=GILLIGAN,_Amy