‘Ithaca Is Gorges’ Slogan Lives On After Creator’s Passing

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.