Craig Cooper (center) receives the 2007 alumni achievement award from Lynne Brown (left), vice president of Lambda Pi Eta, and Sara Markowitz, LPE president

“I found my time at Rider to be the grounding moment in my young life, said Craig Cooper ‘75, ‘77. Cooper owns Craig M. Cooper Productions, an award-winning video and event production company. His videos have won two Telly Awards and nearly a dozen BOLI Awards.

Cooper received the Department of Communication and Journalism’s 2007 Alumni Achievement Award during the department’s Lambda Pi Eta honor society induction ceremony in late March. He also served as keynote speaker.

After graduate school, Cooper didn’t land the job of his dreams. He vividly recalls sharing his uncertainty of what he gained from his six years at Rider with then Dean of Students, James McRoberts. “Dean McRoberts told me, ‘don’t worry you’ll figure it out soon enough.’ He was right. It took me eleven years, but I did figure it out,” said Cooper.

A songwriter and musician, Cooper regularly performed with his good friend Larry Straus ’75. Cooper opened a performance space on campus for musicians and singers called the Starlight Café. He was also fortunate enough to meet Harry Chapin. Cooper recalled, “We developed a friendship that lasted right up until he died. Larry and I opened some concerts for Harry Chapin. We played at the McCarter Theater at Princeton, St. Joe’s College in Philly, Monmouth Art Center and the Asbury Park Convention Hall, among others. Rider gave me a platform to test every one of my interests. What kid graduates college having been the morning DJ on a radio station, having opened a performance space, having the guts to reach out to a phenomenal recording artist like Harry Chapin? That confidence came from the exposure I had at Rider. It just took me a while to realize it.”

Cooper’s advice to young alumni is simple: do what you have to do, bang down doors and be patient.

A sought-after interviewer and producer, Cooper has worked with Donald Trump, former New York City mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Guliani, supermodels Tyra Banks and Carmen Electra, and the CEOs of more than 25 major corporations. “Routine work would never have made me as content or as successful as I am now. I wake up one day and write a comedic script for a corporate video. The next day, I interview a world-known celebrity. Then, I make people cry by putting together a video about a disease or charity. This variety is so satisfying for me. I rarely look back over my shoulder with any sense of regret. I love what I do,” explained Cooper.

When he received the alumni achievement award, he was surprised to see three of his former Rider professors in the room. “I am so impressed with the people who made their careers out of teaching and educating communications students at Rider University. The level of excellence and creativity Rider brings out of young students today is just stellar, and always has been,” concluded Cooper.

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