Joan Ganz Cooney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan Ganz Cooney
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Cooney in 1985
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Joan Ganz
November 30, 1929 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
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| Known for | Children's Television Workshop (1968-2000) (renamed as) Sesame Workshop (2000–present) Sesame Street (1969–present) |
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| Relatives | Emil Ganz (grandfather) |
Joan Ganz Cooney (born Joan Ganz; November 30, 1929) is an American television writer and producer. She is famous for helping to create Sesame Workshop. This organization is well-known for the children's TV show Sesame Street. Joan Cooney also helped create Sesame Street itself.
She grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1951, she earned a degree in education from the University of Arizona. After working for the State Department and as a journalist, she became a publicist in New York City. In 1961, she became very interested in educational television. She started producing documentaries for WNET (Channel 13), New York's first educational TV station. Many of her shows won local Emmy awards.
In 1966, Joan Cooney had a dinner party. There, she discussed how television could teach young children. She was chosen to lead the creation of Sesame Street. The show first aired in 1969. She also led the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), which later became Sesame Workshop. Cooney was the CTW's first executive director. She was one of the first female executives in American television. Her role was seen as a very important step for TV.
Cooney was the executive director of CTW until 1990. Then, she became the chair of CTW's executive board. She served on many different boards and received many awards. In 2007, Sesame Workshop started The Joan Ganz Cooney Center. It was named in her honor.
Contents
Growing Up and Schooling
Early Life in Phoenix
Joan Ganz was born on November 30, 1929. Her parents were Sylvan Ganz, a banker, and Pauline Reddon, a homemaker. Her father's family was from Phoenix. Her grandfather, Emil Ganz, came to the U.S. in 1858. He was a tailor and later became president of a bank. He was also the mayor of Phoenix three times.
Joan was the youngest of three children. She described her childhood as comfortable. She said she was raised to be a housewife and mother. She also expected to have an interesting job after college.
High School and College Years
She went to North High School in Phoenix. There, she enjoyed acting in school plays. A big influence on her was her teacher, Bud Brown. His lessons about the Civil Rights Movement, poverty, and free press deeply affected her.
After high school, she attended Dominican College. It was an all-girls Catholic school. After one year, she moved to the University of Arizona in 1948. She stopped acting in college because her father did not support it as a career. She chose to study education. She later said it was a common path for girls at that time.
Starting Her Career
First Jobs in Washington and Phoenix
After graduating in 1951, Joan Ganz moved to Washington, D.C.. She worked as a clerk and typist for the State Department. She became interested in media. She believed that good people should work in media to make a positive difference.
She then returned to Phoenix. Even without experience, she got a job as a reporter at the Arizona Republic newspaper.
Moving to New York City
In 1953, at age 23, she moved to New York City. For the next ten years, she worked in public relations. She worked for companies like RCA and NBC. She wrote press releases and summaries for TV shows. She also worked for the United States Steel Hour at CBS. During this time, she became interested in politics. She met many writers and editors.
Discovering Educational Television
While working at CBS, a colleague moved to an educational TV station. Joan Cooney was surprised to learn about educational television. She felt it was her calling.
In 1961, she started following a court case. A group in New York City wanted to buy a TV station. This station would become WNET (Channel 13). It was the first public television station in New York. When Channel 13 became non-commercial, Cooney applied for a publicist job. But the general manager told her they needed producers. She said, "I can produce," even though she had no experience. She later said she was never fully qualified for any job she got.
Producing Documentaries
Joan Cooney took a pay cut to become a producer. She and her boss, Lewis Freedman, created shows about important issues. One of her first shows was Court of Reason. It was a live debate show. Famous guests like Malcolm X appeared on it. She also produced a debate about America's policy on Cuba. This aired just before the Cuban Missile Crisis.
She also produced a show called Poverty, Anti-Poverty, and the World. This show brought poor people into the studio. They talked with government officials about anti-poverty programs. Even though few people watched, Cooney and Freedman won Emmys for their work. The viewers who watched cared deeply about fairness and opportunity.
Cooney also made low-cost documentaries. One was called A Chance at the Beginning. It showed an early version of the Head Start program. This documentary won her a local Emmy. It was later used to train Head Start teachers. She reported that her station won many New York Emmys in one year.
Marriage and Support
In February 1964, at age 34, she married Timothy Cooney. He worked for the mayor of New York. They met while she was working on A Chance at the Beginning. Timothy Cooney was very supportive of her career. He encouraged her work.
Creating Sesame Street
The Idea for a New Show
In the winter of 1966, Joan Cooney hosted a small dinner party. Her husband, her boss, and Lloyd Morrisett were there. Lloyd Morrisett worked for the Carnegie Corporation. They talked about using television to teach young children. Morrisett asked, "Do you think television could be used to teach young children?" Cooney replied, "I don't know, but I'd like to talk about it."
A week later, Cooney and Freedman met with Morrisett. They discussed studying how to create an educational TV show for preschoolers. Cooney was chosen to do this study.
Research and Development
In the summer of 1967, Cooney took time off from her job. The Carnegie Corporation funded her travels. She visited experts across the U.S. and Canada. She interviewed people in child development, education, and television.
She wrote a 55-page report about her findings. It was called "The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education." This report described what the new show would look like. It also suggested creating a company to produce it. This company became the Children's Television Workshop (CTW). Cooney said her education background helped her write the report. Her Emmy award also gave her credibility. She wanted to use television in a helpful way. She felt she could make a real difference with this project.
Leading the Children's Television Workshop
At first, Cooney thought her old station would produce the show. But they rejected the idea. So, she left the station in May 1967. She became a full-time consultant for the Carnegie Corporation. For the next two years, Cooney and Morrisett worked on the new show. They raised $8 million for Sesame Street. They also set up the CTW.
Some people doubted Cooney could be the executive director. They worried about her lack of high-level management experience. They also questioned her financial skills. And she had no experience in children's TV or education. Some also wondered if a woman could lead such a big project. But with support from her husband and Morrisett, she got the job. In February 1968, Joan Cooney was named executive director of CTW. This was a very important moment for women in American television.
The Premiere of Sesame Street
Sesame Street first aired on PBS on November 10, 1969. In its first season, the show won three Emmys. It also won a Peabody Award. It was even featured on the cover of Time magazine. News stories praised Joan Cooney and her team. Les Brown of Variety called her "St. Joan." Cooney said the public's reaction was amazing. Parents loved the show. She received many requests for interviews. She believed this was partly because the women's movement was growing in the early 1970s. Cooney also spoke before Congress about children and television.
Personal Life and Later Marriage
In 1975, Joan and Timothy Cooney's marriage ended. In 1980, Cooney married businessman Peter G. "Pete" Peterson. He was a former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. They met when he was on a board and she presented Sesame Street to them. They were married for 37 years until his death in 2018. Through this marriage, she gained five stepchildren and nine grandchildren.
Later Years and Legacy
Leadership at CTW
Joan Cooney remained the chairwoman and CEO of the CTW until 1990. She then stepped down. David Britt, her "right-hand" for many years, took over. Britt had worked for her at CTW since 1975. Cooney became chairman of the CTW's executive board. This board oversaw the organization's business. She also became more involved in the creative side of the CTW.
Serving on Boards and Honors
Cooney served on several committees and company boards. These included the Mayo Foundation and Johnson & Johnson. She knew she was invited to these boards because she was a woman. Companies wanted to be more inclusive. She also gave public speeches for the CTW. She worked on documentaries again, returning to her roots. She felt that working on these boards taught her how to run an organization.
In 2007, Sesame Workshop created The Joan Ganz Cooney Center. This independent, non-profit group studies how to improve children's reading skills. They do this by using and creating digital technologies. This is similar to how Sesame Street was developed. In 2014, a pre-kindergarten program for low-income children was launched. It was named the Joan Ganz Cooney Early Learning Program.
Awards and Recognition
Honors Received
- Christopher Medal, 1970
- National Institute for Social Sciences Gold Medal, 1971
- Frederick Douglass Award, New York Urban League, 1972
- Silver Satellite Award, American Women in Radio and TV, 1979
- Woman of the Decade Award, 1979
- National Endowment for the Arts, Friends of Education Award, 1981
- Kiwanis Decency Award, 1981
- National Association of Educational Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award, 1981
- Stephen S. Wise Award, 1981
- Harris Foundation Award, 1982
- Emmy Award, for Lifetime Achievement, 1989
- Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, 1989
- University of Arizona Centennial Medallion Award, 1989
- Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1995
- 10th Anniversary Award, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, 1996
- National Women's Hall of Fame, 1998
- National Endowment for the Humanities Award, 2003
- National Humanities Medal, 2004
- Literarian Award of the National Book Award, 2010
- Honoree, Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala, 2014
- International Broadcasting Convention's International Honor for Excellence; first woman to receive award, 2018
Boards and Trusteeships
Joan Cooney served on the boards of many important organizations.
- Director, Johnson & Johnson
- Director, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
- National News Council, 1973–81
- Council Foreign Relations, 1974–present
- Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations, 1978–80
- Governor's Commission on International Year of the Child, 1979
- President's Commission for Agenda for the 1980s, 1980–81
- Carnegie Foundation National Panel on High Schools, 1980–82
- National Organization for Women (NOW)
- National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
- National Institute Social Sciences
- International Radio and TV Society
- American Women in Radio and TV
She also served as a trustee for several groups.
- WNET (Channel 13)
- Emeritus, Museum of Television & Radio (Paley Center)
- Allegheny College
- Columbia Presbyterian Hospital
- National Child Labor Committee
Honorary Degrees
Joan Cooney has received many honorary degrees from universities.
- Boston College, 1970
- Hofstra University, 1970
- Ohio Wesleyan University, 1971
- Oberlin College, 1972
- Princeton University, 1973
- Russell Sage College, 1974
- University of Arizona, 1975, 1989
- Harvard University, 1975
- Allegheny College, 1976
- Georgetown University, 1978
- University of Notre Dame, 1982
- Smith College, 1986
- Brown University, 1987
- Columbia University, 1991
- New York University, 1991
- University of Pennsylvania, 2002
- Dartmouth College (Doctor of Arts), 2006
- Northwestern University (Doctor of Humane Letters), 2012
