Howard S. Cogan ’50 died peacefully at his home on Saturday after battling Alzheimer’s disease. He was 78. As a long-time Ithaca resident, Cogan was known for his work as founder of Cogan Associates, a communications firm that served local and regional businesses. However, he is most famous for creating the iconic “Ithaca Is Gorges” slogan in the ’70s, a phrase which has since become famous throughout the world. Cogan never copyrighted the phrase, and according to The Ithaca Journal, permitted local businesses to use the slogan as advertising with the hope of bringing tourists to Ithaca so they could love it as much as he did.
Cogan, who was an associate professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communication, also taught advertising and public relations at Ithaca College for 17 years where he was an advisor to the Ithaca College chapters of American Advertising Federation and the Public Relations Student Society of America.
Funeral services were held Monday at Temple Beth El in Ithaca. A memorial service is tentatively planned for a later date at Ithaca College. Cogan is survived by his wife, Helen Snyder Cogan and numerous extended family members.