Alan Cohen
Author
Date of Birth | : | 03 Feb, 1950 |
Place of Birth | : | Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA |
Profession | : | Writer, Author |
Nationality | : | American |
Alan Norman Cohen (December 19, 1930 – August 10, 2004) was the former co-owner of the Boston Celtics and the New Jersey Nets, and chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.
Biography
Born to a Jewish family, Cohen graduated from Columbia College in 1952 and Columbia Law School in 1954. While attending Columbia College, Cohen was initiated into the Delta Chapter of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity. After school, he served in the U.S. Army and then went to work for Paul, Weiss, Rifkin, Wharton and Garrison in 1957 becoming a partner of the firm in 1964. In 1970 he accepted a position at Warner Communications (now WarnerMedia) as executive vice president where he was responsible for Atlantic Records, Elektra Records, and Warner Bros. Records. He joined with a group of investors including Warner CEO Steve Ross and purchased the New York Cosmos, which made international headlines by signing superstar Pelé.
In 1974 he became chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Corporation, a public corporation which owned the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. In 1978, Cohen and a group of investors purchased the New Jersey Nets basketball team. In 1983, he sold his interest in the Nets, and together with his partners, Don Gaston and Paul Dupee, purchased the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won the NBA championship in 1984 and 1986, with superstar players Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish.[1] From 1985 to 1987, he served as chairman of the NBA Board of Governors helping to pioneer the concept of the salary cap.
While not known as an innovator, Cohen did come up with the idea of placing revolving advertisements courtside at NBA games. He was the founding Chairman of ANC Sports in Purchase, New York, a provider of rotational and LED signage at sports facilities; and served as co-chairman of Sportsco International which owns the SkyDome stadium in Toronto.
Philanthropy
Cohen served as a trustee or director of various entities including the Independence House, a youth offender rehabilitation facility; the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre; the International Center for Photography; Haifa University; American Friends of the Hebrew University; the Educational Alliance; Columbia College; Columbia Law School; and the Graduate School of Management of the New School. He also served as the director of the American Friends of Tel Aviv University. He received Columbia University's John Jay Award and was elected to Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. In 2001, Cohen was elected to the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.
Personal life
Cohen was married twice. He had two children, Laurie Cohen Fenster and Gordon Cohen, with his first wife Joan Fields Cohen, who died in 1989; and one child, Rebecca Cohen, with his second wife Carol Cohen. Cohen died in Boca Raton, Florida, of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Services were held at the Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan.
Quotes
Total 25 Quotes
Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.
Your life is not a problem to be solved, but an adventure to be enjoyed. You are doing better than you think.
Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but of unlearning old limits.
Be happy with what you have. Be excited about what you want.
A life without change is not a life; it is a stagnant pool.
Those who love you are not fooled by mistakes you have made or dark images you hold about yourself. They remember your beauty when you feel ugly; your wholeness when you are broken; your innocence when you feel guilty; and your purpose when you are confused.
You always have energy to do what you are passionate about.
Happy people do not demand a lot from the world because their happiness proceeds from a place deeper than the world can touch.
It is not selfish to be happy. It is your highest purpose. Your joy is the greatest contribution you can make to life on the planet. A heart at peace with its owner blesses everyone it touches.
Quit planning your dream and start living it