Can anyone tell Me about The REAL Col. Jeff Cooper ?

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Met the man when I took the 250 course down there some years back. Started reading his stuff in 1959 (!) because he made sense and wrote well. He is occasionally found out walking on the water but also knows whereof he speaks. My 89 year old father is from the same era which, as Cooper says, is 'another country'. They have both earned my respect.

For some insights, his biography, 'The Soul and the Spirit' explains a lot. A collection of his observations over 20 years or so of newsletters is in the 'Gargantuan Gunsite Gossip', and great reading. His current 'Commentaries' are in the same vein.

I don't always agree with his opinions--but they are always worth consideration--which is more than you can say for most people.

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Yes, I've met and conversed with LTC John Dean Cooper several times over the past 20 years. Hard to call him a friend, actually, for he is a pretty formal individual and does not invite rapid, easy intimacy. It took daily contact for most of a week before I felt comfortable in calling him "Jeff," and going a few years without seeing him, it is very easy to revert to "Colonel."

He is a product of an earlier age. He is dignified. He is abrupt. It might be easy for some to consider him arrogant. He is a very complicated person, well educated, widely read, widely traveled, and experienced and conversant in a surprising variety of fields.
He has some strongly-held opinions. He has earned his right to them, and stands ready to defend them on appropriate occasion. We all hold certain opinions, and, believe me, often with less basis than Cooper holds his.

As to the use of "We," in his writings, he has two good and valid claims to that usage. One, he was the founding chairman of the International Practical Shooting Confederacy, long ago before it deteriorated into USPSA/IPSC Games Congress. Guns & Ammo magazine used to run a monthly column entitled "Thoughts from Chairman Jeff," a takeoff on the "Little Red Book," Thoughts of Chairman Mao, of unlamented memory. As chairman of an international organization, he was arguably entitled to the "we." Additionally, he was for many years Handgun Editor for Guns & Ammo, and was, as a practical matter, expected to use the "We." He commented on this usage several times in his writings, and occasionally in conversation. He truly uses the "We" in a joking manner, and also as an accepted writing device. In conversation, he says "I" and "me," just like the rest of us.

Mrs. Jane Ellen Cooper is an ageless, wonderful, woman of incomparable grace and beauty. I always call her "a real lady," for she encompasses all the best traits of ladylike demeanor. Jeff argues, sort of tongue-in-cheek, that a lady is a woman married to a lord, and he is certainly not one of those. She, too, is a product of an earlier time. Mrs. Cooper's thousands of friends call her Janelle. Jeff was raised during a time when gentlemen did not refer to their wives by their given name in public. When not wishing to be so formal --dare I say "Stuffy?"--as to call her Mrs. Cooper, he usually vary fondly calls her The Countess. They are truly a grand couple and no one can be around the two of them in a social setting for five minutes and have any doubt of their mutual devotion.

Cooper is such a complicated man, a detailed and rational discussion of him runs to many closely written pages. Indeed, his own daughter has written a fascinating biography, called, Jeff Cooper - The Soul And The Spirit; by Lindy Cooper Wisdom, Wisdom Publishing, Inc., Tempe, AZ, 1996, ISBN 0-9655-409-0-1. I recommend it highly. Good, but more general bio information may also be found at
http://www.cybersurf.co.uk/JeffCooper/

with writings by and about Col Cooper.

John Schaffer ("Father Frog") has a web site devoted to many things, including a good bibliography, at
http://home.sprynet.com/~frfrog/cooper.htm

This is getting long. I have very high respect for Jeff Cooper and am proud to claim his acquaintance. Like dark cigars and brown whiskey, he is not for everyone. For those who are interested and will read his writings with an open mind, he is a very worthwhile and admirable person.

Best regards,
Johnny

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---The Second Amendment ensures the rest of the Bill of Rights---
 
The only personal impression I have of LTC Cooper is that when my brother wrote him in the mid 1970s, he graciously responded with a 2 page letter. Yes, he can be a bit stiff and formal - get to be his age and see if you aren't a bit stiff and formal.
 
Schmit & I had the pleasure of meeting Col. Cooper this past spring. We attended a dinner in his honor given by Mid-Carolina Rifle Club in Columbia, SC. This was just before his trip to Africa with Rich L.

My impressions? He's an alert and highly intelligent individual who does not suffer fools gladly. Perhaps this is arrogant, but IMHO, the world would be a lot better off if more people were like Col. Cooper as far as suffering fools. Then it wouldn't be so fashionable to be "foolish" (MMM, HCI, and a whole host of other "damnfool" organizations which have so much current popular support. 50 years ago, organizations like these would have folded up and colapsed like a wet noodle due to their lack of anything remotely resembling common sense.)
I personaly like his writing and speaking style. It demonstrates great authority and wisdom gained from real experience, as well as a fine command of the language. Yes, it's a bit archaic, but that makes one concentrate even more, and that makes one think. This is always a good thing.
As for Janelle, well, I agree with Tim Burke, "Countess" just doesn't do her justice. She is one of the most gracious ladies I have ever been privileged to meet. She reminded me in some ways of my Mom, and that's about as high a compliment I can pay to a woman.

I don't agree with Cooper on everything, but I wouldn't want to live in a world where everyone agreed all the time, anyway. That would be deathly boring.
Yes, he's a hard man to get to know and feel comfortable with, but that doesn't change the fact that he's "been there, done that" many times over, and that cannot be ignored. When I was in his presence, I found myself standing straighter, listening hard, thinking more, talking less. This cannot be anything but good.

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Shoot straight & make big holes, regards, Richard at The Shottist's Center

[This message has been edited by 45King (edited September 14, 2000).]
 
When I have personally encountered experiences of such a scale as Col. Cooper, I will then feel qualified to judge him. In the meantime, I merely glean of his preachings that which I personally find to be of value. Interestingly enough, with my relative lack of life experiences, I find that most, if not nearly all, of what he says is of personal value to me.

Cooper does care whether people are listening to him, it's true. But then, the man's been leading men for 60 years! One gets used to taking such a stance.

I've never met him. George-- when are we going?

--L.P.
 
JimR..... The .25 ACP MAGNUM????

Oh yeah, the .50 BMG necked to .25 now I remember. And on the 1911 chassis of course.
 
Seriously, never met him. Have enjoyed his writing for years. From his photos in the gun rags, he looks like he would be a decent guy to know.

Certainly will be a legend like Keith, Skelton, McGivern, etc.

Think he has done a lot to educate people on guns and, if not exactly to his opinion, at least a consideration of it.
 
I don't know what I can add, other than the fact that I want to say he's arrogant too. Unfortunately, he's like a co-worker of mine. Arrogant, a little "off" and almost always right. I love reading Cooper's stuff.
 
Greetings,

From his writings, I find it impossible not to like what is revealed of the man. I am reminded of the writings of General George Patton ("War as I Knew It"). The two men seem to be cut from the same cloth.

Some of the finest people in the world look to Col. Cooper for guidance and example and he has acquitted himself impeccably, IMO. He speaks the thoughts of many of us when he writes. Irrespective of his accomplishments, it is his right to refer to himself and his family as he pleases. If he does so with a mixture of respect and self-irony, it's not hard to understand why.

A universal return to the values he cherishes would improve the world immeasurably. Defense and observance of those values is our mutual responsibility.

Regards to all,

Ledbetter
 
I had the opportunity to meet the Col at Scout Conference III. My impression of him is he is a gentleman from an earlier era when loyalty, honor and formality were more important characteristics. He holds his opinions strongly and doesn't suffer fools. But I doubt I've ever met someone who had arrived at their opinions through such a concious, indepth process.

He can be an intimidating individual. He kept a close eye on me the whole time the conference was at the shooting range with the prototype Steyrs.

He sometimes comes across as an 'ole coot', but I can think of no one else, at whose feet I would like to sit.
 
I've always wanted to meet the man, and will hopefully take a Gunsite course from him in the near future. I'm tempted to by a pre-agreement Sigma .380 and bring it as a joke (but he'd either shoot me or have a heartattack).

It's been said that the highest compliments are often paid by one's competitors or opponents. I took a course from Ayoob this year (who is NOT properly an opponent or competitor, but does hold some different opinions, mainly on mindest, technique and aftermath). He said that, notwithstanding any differences of opinion, every shooter owed an enormous debt to Cooper for being one of those who laid the foundation for modern pistolcraft. He then urged all of us to go to Gunsite just so that we could meet the man speak.

By the way, I disagree about why Cooper refers to himself as "we." I seem to recall an article where he referred to it as the royal "we." I firmly believe that Cooper is full of himself, just like we all are. :)

You may rise, peasants

The royal buzz of knox
 
I can't remeber the last time everyone here had such an identical opinion of something or someone, except perhaps Rosie O'Mammoth.

Sounds like he knows his stuff, never heard anyone say his theories are garbage, which is unusual, even Einsteinian physics was rubbished in its early days. If its all the same to you though, I'll admire him from a distance.

Thanks for the responses guys,

Mike H
 
I corresponded off and on for several years with Jeff Cooper when he still lived at Big Bear, Kalif. He always wrote promptly and offered information which was useful to me. (In fact, he talked me out of buying a Colt's Combat Commander. He said with the weight, size, being almost identical to a Govt Model, why not buy the Govt. Model? Or, the Lightweight Commander? I had a Govt. Model and so bought the L.W. Commander. Still carry it, and it's saved my bacon.)

I attended Gunsite in 1981. Think of having Jeff Cooper standing over one shoulder and Clint Smith standing over the other, patiently coaching! What an experience. He was a gracious and very observant man, and a meticulous lecturer in class. He answered every question of the students as if it were the most important question ever asked by a gun owner interested in self defense.

Later worked very briefly with him on our fight against Prop. 15, in Kalif., and then talked with him again in 1989/1990(??) at the NRA Nat'l Convention in Anaheim, Kalif.

Aside from all that, he has "seen the elephant" more than once, and he's still above ground.

He's a fine man as far as I am concerned, and I enjoy his writing.

FWIW. J.B.
 
Originally posted by Mike H:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>…the guy really sounds like an arrogant you know what. . . . But has anyone actually MET the guy and can they put me straight, or is he really a few grains short of a full load ?[/quote]

Jeff Cooper is an extraordinary intellect and a most learned individual... he writes well, his knowledge spans an enormous panoply of subjects and is truly awe-inspiring, and he's a wonderful conversationalist. (I spent the better part of "Waco Sunday" afternoon in The Sconce with Janelle and Jeff as he discoursed with an idolatrous physician/student on the similarities between the Hungarian tongue and the language of Andorra. I was dumbfounded!)

On the downside, his factual accuracy in his "Commentaries" leaves a great deal to be desired. Too much of what appears there is demonstrably less "what is" than how Jeff "would have it." But then he is an Octogenarian, and although Janelle has rationed his daily tot, there is, sad to relate, increasingly discernable confusion.

What remains, however, is Jeff's "attitude," something that is all too rare in today's world, and a quality that was always very much the most important part of the instruction at any facility where Jeff Cooper lectured and taught. (For those who have focussed on Jeff's pronouncements about "crunchentickers" and "combat tupperware," with him it has always been about the man and the mindset. His hardware of choice remains the Colt's/Browning pattern pistol in .45 caliber, but if a man can overcome the inadequacies of a minor caliber double-action/single-action pistol, then he'll not gainsay the man's skill or ability.)

The "editorial" (or Imperial") we has always been Jeff Cooper's style in his "commentaries," the successor to his Gunsite Gossip columns¹. His "voice" lapses between the first person plural and the third person singular, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest… I've always been more concerned with what he says, rather than how he says it. (Best not to let the message get lost in the medium.)

Speaking of which, everyone here is obviously Internet enabled, so why bother waiting around for 90-120 days for heavily redacted G&A versions of the same, unexpurgated "Cooper's Commentaries" one can pull down from the Internet within a fortnight of their being written? (The Gun Zone maintains a link to the most current site hosting Jeff's writings.)

Another item... Jeff Cooper, having resigned his commission in the USMC, is not properly addressed as "Colonel" or, the rank he last held, "Lieutenant Colonel." The discerning reader or listener will note that he never refers to himself in those terms. (And anyone who trots out "John Dean Cooper" should jolly well know that!)

Saturday, 26 August, at noon, saw the end of what will almost certainly be the final Master Class at Gunsite Academy, the "high desert dojo" that Jeff conceived and created out of the dirt and brush of the Coconino Plateau on the rim of the Chino Valley almost 25 years ago. What is being instructed there now is well beyond what Jeff is lecturing about... advancements have been made, and he has been unwilling or unable to stay current. But few will ever gainsay that without Jeff, nothing would have advanced as far as it has.

« -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- • -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- »

¹.- One of a shooter's better investments would be the Gargantuan Gunsite Gossip, even though fully one-third of that volume are contributions from Barrett Tillman, Mark Moritz and the "Underground Grammarian." It's still a gas!

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• Dean Speir, jus' visiting from The Gun Zone

[This message has been edited by Dean Speir (edited September 15, 2000).]
 
Who is the one man you'd least rather be in a gunfight with? For me it would have to be Jelly Brice,but Jeff Cooper would be next.
 
Gizmo, Tim Burke, Erick, 45King & Dean have basically said everything I would have. IMO the Coopers are, in this day and age, the closest thing to Royality this country has

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Schmit
GySgt, USMC(Ret)
NRA Life, Lodge 1201-UOSSS
"Si vis Pacem Para Bellum"
 
On the rare occasion I find I do not agree with Col. Cooper, I re-evaluate my opinion.

I have not met him, however I gather he tolerates fools poorly and unlike many men, he has 80 (or so) years of experiences, rather than one year's experience 80 times.

His foibles, if any, have been earned IMHO.
 
Dean Speir -- I'd have to challenge your assertion that "Jeff Cooper, having resigned his commission in the USMC, is not properly addressed as "Colonel" or, the rank he last held, "Lieutenant Colonel."

Regular officers must resign their commissions to leave active duty or be placed on the retired list (retired pay is in theory a retainer paid entitling the government to call the retiree back to duty in case of war). In either case, it's customary and thoroughly correct to refer to them by their rank last held. Someone dishonorably discharged wouldn't rate the customary title, I suppose.

Another couple of nit-picky things: Marines don't abbreviate Lieutenant Colonel "LTC." It's "LtCol" and Marine LtCols are almost always referred to as "Colonel" so-and-so except in writing. And we don't call Marine Staff NCOs "Sergeant" like they do in the Army. They always get the full rank (ex: Master Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant or Staff Sergeant). Also, it's the Marine Corps, not "Corp." Corp is for a corporation. Whew!
 
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