Dr. Marc Cooper Dedication
From eJournal Editors, Staff, and Editorial Board
It is with great sadness that we tell you that on August 17, 2016, we lost our colleague and friend Dr. Marc Cooper.
Dr. Cooper earned his PhD in Ancient History at the University of Minnesota in 1979 and came to Missouri State University in 1980. He published extensively in Ancient Near Eastern Studies, served as department head in history for six years, was a visiting professor at Hebrew University, and was a Fellow for Imagining America. Dr. Cooper was an integral force in making the eJournal of Public Affairs what it is today. His knowledge, interest in politics, and dedication to community made him the perfect choice as the journal’s managing editor. We could count on Marc to ensure the journal was of the highest quality.
Marc’s tragic death led to an outpouring of grief and remembrance on social media. Friends and colleagues have described Marc as a kind and compassionate man, a gentle soul, a walking encyclopedia, and a lover of cats. An especially touching tribute came from Cindy, a Missouri State University alumnus who had class with Dr. Cooper on September 11, 2001:
I remember all the students were subdued, quiet. Obviously as rattled as I was. We filed into the classroom as usual and took our seats. Dr. Cooper . . . briefly recapped the tragedy still in progress at that time . . . . Many of the other professors had cancelled classes that day, he went on to say. He’d even considered doing it too, but one thing stopped him: “My ancestors taught the children during the holocaust. I can do no less.” . . . I can’t tell you what ancient civilization we learned about that day, but I can tell you what Dr. Cooper taught me that day. Bravery. Courage. Standing up and continuing on under the duress of a traumatic and world-changing crisis.
Dr. Keri Franklin, Professor of English at Missouri State University, wrote about Marc on her Facebook page: “Marc was a great man—funny, intelligent, generous, supportive, thoughtful, inquisitive . . . I’m heartbroken at my personal loss—I had so much more to learn from him. He taught me about publicly engaged scholarship and introduced me to Imaging America. He was an advocate for re- imaging and understanding the value of scholarship and its public impact. I’ll keep that alive for Marc.”
From Dr. Rachelle Darabi, Associate Provost and Executive Editor of the eJournal: “Marc was a trusted colleague and friend. His expertise as an editor of the journal consistently propelled us forward and his presence in our lives brought us joy. He will always remain with us in our hearts.”
Marc Cooper epitomized the spirit of Missouri State University’s public affairs mission of ethical leadership, cultural competence, and community engagement. His death is a great loss to many, we will miss our colleague and friend.
Dr. Marc Cooper Memorial Scholarship
https://webapps.missouristate.edu/giving/pledgesearch.aspx?search=marc+cooper
Marc Cooper Rachelle Darabi Andrew Lokie
From Andrew P. Lokie, Jr, Editor
This is a very a difficult but necessary dedication to write, and I cannot move forward with publishing until I have addressed this. On August 17, 2016, our colleague, my partner in the journal and friend, Marc Cooper was brutally attacked and killed in his home. Just the day before I was talking about the eJournal of Public Affairs with people attending an on-campus conference, explaining the eJournal’s successes and wonderful impact from one of the best professional collaborations in my career.
During Marc’s memorial service, his Rabbi spoke of Dr. Marc Cooper as being a “curious intellectual.” In my opinion, Marc was an elite intellectual and represented all that epitomizes a Professor. From his friends for more than 30 years in his Friday lunch group (we could schedule no eJournal meetings on Fridays) to nearly everyone that knew him, common themes echo the qualities I experienced from being around him: intelligent, kind, compassionate, inquisitive, supportive, light-hearted, funny, generous, dedicated, creative, honest…. We complemented each other so well, sharing common priorities, interests, and standards; ours was a great blend of skill sets, and we could explore distinctions that never felt like disagreements. I could always rely on his judgment, insight, and unyielding integrity.
As a media producer, I understood the artful applications of media, but through my work with Marc I came to realize and appreciate this aspect in writing, as I observed his talents and magic as a managing editor. On more than one occasion, I watched him take an article that didn’t make it through the review process and work with the author to revise and restore the article into a quality manuscript. For Marc, this sometimes was a better alternative than just rejecting the piece.
On a more personal note, Marc articulated and truly lived the principles that we express in our mission statement for Public Affairs. He loved to talk about his family, friends, and companionship with his cats. He was so happy in his retirement and passionate about his work with the eJournal. I believe Marc truly arrived in his journey, but was removed far too soon from our moments. As I expressed to his wife, Nancy, while I am so sorry for what happened, I am so very grateful for the time that we were able to share with Marc. The gravity and disbelief still lingers, but the memory of a wonderful colleague and dear friend will continue to be a part of our days and the work of the eJournal.
