In Memoriam: Dr. William “Jack” Coogan

Dr. Coogan’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 14th at 10:00 AM at the Christ Church Parish at 1127 N San Antonio Avenue in Ontario, California.

It is with heavy hearts we share the news of the passing of Professor Emeritus William “Jack” Coogan, who died Wednesday, July 7, 2021. Serving as CST’s Professor of Communication Arts for fifty years, Dr. Coogan made an impact on the school that cannot be overstated. Indeed, the story of CST cannot be told without Dr. Coogan.

(Scroll to the bottom of the page to share a memory, a prayer, or condolences.)

Dr. Coogan earned both of his graduate degrees from CST, a Master of Theology in 1963 and a Doctor of Theology in 1967,  and started teaching at the school in 1965. He officially joined the faculty in 1966 and continued teaching until 2016, making him the only member of the faculty to serve under all seven presidents of CST. Dr. Coogan’s research interests included religion and the performing arts, religion and media, and the unique contributions these can make to understanding dimensions of religious experience.

Dr. Coogan supported these passions throughout his career. Working directly with Frances Flaherty, he helped establish, and then directed, The Flaherty Center which held the collections of early filmmakers in the silent movie era, including thousands of still photographs, audio recordings, and films. This collection pioneered a new use of the film medium, focused on cross-cultural communication, care of the earth through right relationship to it, and the moving image as a tool for the human spirit, to inspire and shape a better future for the earth and its people. 

Film scholars worldwide sought information and images housed at CST, which have now been digitized to facilitate wider distribution and use by filmmakers, scholars, and students. This center, along with the establishment of several others (the Center for Process Studies, The Clinebell Institute, the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center) in the early years of the school, and under the leadership of CST’s first president, Ernest Cadman Colwell, defined “The Claremont Spirit,” and served to catapult the school into progressive theological education.

Professor Emerita Marjorie Suchocki likened Dr. Coogan to a saint, recalling Psalm 116:15, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of God’s saints.” She shared, “Jack was/is surely one of those saints. As for his gifts, without him there never would have been a Whitehead International Film Festival (morphed into Common Good International Film Festival); Jack’s sure and steady wisdom and competence were essential to the beginning and continuation of the festival from its first offerings in January 2002 through my final year as its director in 2018.” 

Professor Emeritus David Ray Griffin concurred, “Jack Coogan was universally liked and respected. He always carried out his tasks well but never tried to draw attention to himself. Because of that, I would support Marjorie’s contention that he was a saint.”

Under Dr. Coogan’s direction, CST was one of the earliest seminaries (if not the first) to have a program in Religion and Film. During his tenure, he oversaw many theatrical productions and concerts. Between 1968 and 1998, the Seminary Players performed more than 30 plays including “A Streetcar named Desire,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Equus,” “The Birds,” “Carousel,” and medieval mystery plays like “Noah’s Flood.” 

CST alumnus and board member Dave Richardson, ’69, shared, “Jack was an institution at CST and he will be missed by many. A little known fact about his versatility is that he also taught preaching when K. Morgan Edwards was on sabbatical. I was one of his students. He wasn’t theatrical but he was truly into theater. The same can be said about preaching.” 

Dr. Coogan’s commitment to the arts in theological education has had a lasting impact on this school, his students, and the Church. President Jeffrey Kuan noted, “He served CST well in his quiet ways and earned the respect and admiration of faculty colleagues, staff, and students.” CST alumnus and Interim Vice President of Communications Steve Horswill-Johnston, ’89, shared, 

Jack was the most important teacher in my life. He sent many of us out to make films, to interpret scripture, and to find hidden meaning in classic films. He was a gentle spirit who always gave his students just enough information to send them on a holy quest but never to complete it for them. He taught me the power of the arts to the church and to the human condition. But more importantly, he was a friend of my family long after I graduated from Claremont School of Theology. He watched my films and offered gentle advice on how to improve them. At least two of my films were Emmy-winning because of him. Just two days before he died he sent me an email to check in on me. I will miss my friend and mentor.”

If you would like to hear Dr. Coogan again, or for the first time, some audio recordings found in CST’s archives have recently been uploaded to the Internet Archive, and they are free and available to anyone with internet access. 

The Church and Communication,” a panel discussion with Allen Moore, Dr. Coogan, Robert Munger, and Father Pius, January 10, 1970

Towards a Liturgical Treatment of Ecology,” April 30, 1971

Worship: Value or Vestige?,” with Dr. Coogan, Geoffrey Hayes, and Larry Thomas, March 21, 1972

Great Comedians as Theologians: Statement and Discussion,” with F. Thomas Trotter and Dr. Coogan, undated

As others shared their thoughts about Dr. Coogan, many echoed Steve’s sentiments using words such as “gentle” and “good” and “friend,” again and again:

“Such a wonderful man, warm and gentle spirit, who led us forward in important ways,” shared CST Board President Patricia Farris. She continued, “He’s an important piece in our CST story and witness. We give thanks!”

“Dr. Coogan was one-of-a-kind. We have lost a genuinely good soul, a creative and committed scholar, artistic spirit, and friend of CST,” said Andrew Dreitcer, CST’s Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty.

“He was a gentle man with an artist’s soul. He was connected with CST longer than anyone — some fifty years. An eminently good man,” recalled Frank Rogers, Professor of Spiritual Formation and Narrative Pedagogy.

“I just saw Jack a few weeks ago. He was a good man, and I will miss him,” shared Jack Jackson, Professor of Evangelism, Mission, and Global Methodism. 

Upon Dr. Coogan’s retirement in 2016, CST sought to honor his extraordinary commitment and exemplary service to the school, and created the “Jack Coogan Award for the Creative Use of the Arts in the Life of the CST Community.” This award is given annually at commencement to a student (or students) who helped to make one or more of the arts an accessible and valuable contribution to the life and work of the CST community.

Gifts made to CST’s annual fund support this award and can be made in Dr. Coogan’s honor by visiting https://cst.networkforgood.com/.

Jeff Tirrell was the inaugural recipient of this award in 2016. He reflected, 

“Jack was the confirmation of God’s calling for me to come to CST. His love for the arts, for beauty, for God, and his ever-kind way of making a person feel valued and welcomed exemplified the heart of God. I loved the man as a mentor, a friend, and an artist. His knowledge of people, films, history…it was beautiful. But it was never just knowledge for knowledge’s sake; it was always in service of how to make the world a better place, a kinder place. His support and enthusiasm is what pushed me to direct “The Great Divorce” at CST, and to see the intersections of art and faith from multiple perspectives. He was, truly, a good man, and hearing this news grieves my heart. You will forever be missed, dear friend, but I cannot wait to see you again when the questions about aesthetics and beauty are no more because the answer will be all around us.”