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Arnold M. Cooper
Dr. Arnold M. Cooper of Manhattan and Water Mill, died at Southampton Hospital on Thursday, June 9. He was 88.
Dr. Cooper was professor of psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College from 1974 to 1992, and associate chairman for education and director of training in the Department of Psychiatry of the former New York Hospital—Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Cooper was also an internationally recognized leader in psychoanalysis, a training analyst at Columbia University, a past president of the American Psychoanalytic Association, a past president of the International Psychoanalytic Association, and a winner of the Sigourney Award, the highest award in the field of psychoanalysis. He was a distinguished scholar, publishing almost 200 papers and editing key textbooks on psychoanalysis. “The Quiet Revolution in American Psychoanalysis,” a collection of many of his most important articles, was published in 2005. “Contemporary Psychoanalysis in America” was published the following year. In addition, Dr. Cooper was past North American editor of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis and past deputy editor of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Arnie, as he was known to most people, was captivated by the East End and when, in the early 1970s, the opportunity came to buy the house he’d been renting in Water Mill for several years, he grabbed it. His home, previously occupied by artists Jane Freilicher and Jane Wilson, and Yiddish theater icon, Stella Adler, later remodeled by architect Ward Bennett, was a frequent gathering place for the many friends—artists, poets, writers, and intellectuals from every field—who were drawn to his unique combination of compassion, capacity for friendship, moral clarity, and enjoyment of life, according to his family.
He was passionate about his garden, the ocean, and the natural beauty of Water Mill. He was also a devoted amateur clarinetist, sharing his deep love of classical music with his wife, Katherine Addleman, a pianist who has performed frequently in Southampton.
In addition to his wife, Dr. Cooper is survived by his children, Andrew Cooper of Texas; Melissa Cooper and her husband Richard Hamburger of Manhattan, and Thomas Van Cooper and his wife Linda of Vermont; and grandchildren, Nicholas Hamburger and Kathryn and Sophie Van Cooper.
A funeral service was held on June 17 in Manhattan.
on Jun 21, 2011