TED COHEN

COHEN--Ted, Philosopher, died March 14 in Chicago, aged 74. A highly-regarded scholar and teacher, he joined the University of Chicago faculty in 1967 and taught there until his death. He received his PhD from Harvard in 1972, studying with the analytic philosopher Willard Van Orman Quine. Cohen's own scholarly interests were wide-ranging; he published four books and more than sixty scholarly articles, focusing most recently on how we use art, narrative, and even sports and jokes to create empathy and connection ("Becoming the Other," and "Thinking of Others" are two recent titles). His many awards include the Quantrell, the University of Chicago's award for excellence in teaching. His elegant thinking and writing brought him the Pushcart Prize in 1991 for "There Are No Ties at First Base." His role in Chicago's famous annual "Latke-Hamantash Debate" led to the 2006 book, The Great Latke-Hamantash Debate, in which Cohen both explicates and sends up analytic philosophy. Famous as a joke teller, his 1999 book, Jokes: Philosophical Thought on Joking Matters, explored the role of humor in creating intimacy and community. Professor Cohen is survived by his wife Ann (Andy) Rutherfurd Austin Cohen, his daughter Shoshannah Cohen, son-in-law Elmer Almachar, son Amos Cohen, grandson Asher Cohen, as well as his brother Stephen of Sydney, Australia, aunt, Peg Kay of Washington, DC, and stepdaughter Alexandra Austin-Schmidt, son-in-law William Schmidt, Jr. and grandchildren Camilla and Russell Schmidt. He was buried in his hometown of Hume, Illinois. A memorial will be held at the University of Chicago on April 12. Memorial donations should be made to the American Civil Liberties Union.