Howard Cogan, Man Who Coined 'Ithaca is Gorges' Phrase, Dies
ITHACA, NY (AP) -- Howard Cogan, who came up with the catchphrase ``Ithaca is Gorges'' in the 1970s and gave businesses free use of the popular slogan to help them market the city, died Saturday.
Cogan died after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's disease, his family said. He was 78.
Cogan taught advertising and public relations at Ithaca College for 17 years and became an associate professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communications.
It was always assumed Cogan profited from his widely used slogan - a reference to the many scenic waterfalls and river gorges found in Ithaca. But he never copyrighted the phrase, allowing local businesses to use the slogan in advertising, said Barbara Cogan Bedell, Cogan's oldest daughter.
``He loved Ithaca so much he wanted to bring tourists here,'' Bedell told The Ithaca Journal. ``He wanted to bring people to Ithaca so they could love it as well.''
For years students sent Cogan pictures from around the world of cars with ``Ithaca is Gorges'' bumper stickers, Bedell said. She said her father received photos from Paris, the Great Wall of China and Puerto Rico to show him how far his words had traveled.
Cogan was born in Philadelphia and raised in Ithaca. He attended Cornell University, graduating in 1950 and enjoyed a 60-year career in advertising and promotion.
Funeral services were held Monday at Temple Beth El in Ithaca. A memorial service is tentatively planned for a later date at Ithaca College.
