Dr. Joseph Cohen

Dr. Joseph Cohen of New Orleans, Louisiana passed away on Thursday, September 25, 2014, in New Orleans. He was 88 years old. Dr. Cohen was born on April 27, 1926 in Central City, Kentucky, the son of late Louis Aaron Cohen and the late Hattie Klein Cohen. He proudly served in the army during World War II as a Japanese interpreter. Dr. Cohen achieved his undergraduate and master degrees from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Texas in Austin. He studied under Harry Ransom, and later established the Wilfred Owen War Poetry Collection at the Texas Humanities Research facility, known as the Harry Ransom Center. Dr. Cohen began his career as a university professor in 1955 at Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University until his retirement in 1991. During his tenure as a professor, he served in the 1960's and early 1970's as Associate Dean of Newcomb College. Dr. Cohen was the first person to establish at Newcomb College the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women. From 1970 to 1971, Dr. Cohen served as the President of the National Collegiate Honors Council. In 1981, Dr. Cohen founded the Jewish Studies Program at Tulane University, and served as its director until 1987. In connection with the Jewish Studies Program, Dr. Cohen established the Gulf South Jewish Historical Archive, currently housed in the Tulane Rare Book Collection. Dr. Cohen published and edited four books and fifty scholarly articles and two-hundred fifty book reviews. His most noted book titles he authored were "Journey to the Trenches: The Life of Isaac Rosenberg 1890-1918," published in 1975; "The Poetry of Dannie Abse: Critical Essays and Reminiscences, published in 1983; and, "Voices of Israel: Essays on and Interviews with Yehuda Amichai, A.B. Yehoshua, T. Carmi, Aharon Appelfeld, and Amos Oz, published in 1990. In 2003, the University of South Carolina established the Joseph Cohen Collection of World War I Literature. In later years, Dr. Cohen was proprietor of Great Acquisitions Books, from 1992 to 2012. Dr. Cohen not only loved his scholarly work, but he relished collecting and selling antique books. He was one of the top experts in New Orleans in appraising literary collector's items, letters, and documents; and was called upon often to perform this service. Dr. Cohen is predeceased by his two brothers, Leonard and Julius Bernard Cohen, and was the beloved husband of the late Gloria Plitman Cohen, and the late Dr. Ruth Samuels. He is survived by his beloved wife Theodora Sternberg Cohen in New Orleans, a sister Gladys Cohen Stillman of Nashville, Tennessee, and three children, Susan Cohen Levin (Gerald) of Metairie, Louisiana, Cynthia Cohen Larner (Keith) of Manchester, Missouri, and Jeffrey Daniel Cohen (Francine Gertz) of Austin, Texas; and five granddaughters Jillian Levin Sherburne (Matthew), Carly Leah Levin, Lindsay Rebecca Larner, Melinda Star Larner, and Juliana Golda Cohen. He is also survived by his stepchildren Polly Lief Goldberg (Eliot) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Felix Lief (Judith) of Brooklyn, New York, Michael Sternberg (Linda) of Montrose, New York, and Deborah Sternberg Bernstein (Howard) of Billerica, Massachusetts. A memorial service will be held at the Touro Synagogue chapel, on Monday, October 6, at 2:00 PM, 4238 St. Charles Avenue. Rabbi David Goldstein, close friend and colleague will officiate. Kindly omit flowers. Memorial gifts are suggested to The Jewish Studies Program at Tulane University, 7031 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70118; The Center for Research on Women at Newcomb College, via the Newcomb College Institute, 7025 Freret Street, New Orleans, LA 70118; The Joseph Cohen Collection of World War I Literature, in care of Treasures Acquisitions Fund, USC Educational Foundation, University of South Carolina, 1027 Barnwell St., Columbia, SC 29208, or the charity of your choice. Arrangements by Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp, 1600 N. Causeway Blvd. Metairie, La. 70001. Information 504-835-2341. Condolences may be expressed online at www.tharpsontheimerfh.com.