John Cooper Jr. (September 15, 1922 â May 3, 2011) was an American actor, television director, producer, and executive. He was a child actor who made the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Oscar nomination. At age 9 he became the youngest performer to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, an honor that he received for the film Skippy (1931). For nearly 50 years, Cooper remained the youngest Oscar nominee in any category.
Cooper went into the US Navy for World War II, he spent part of the war playing drums in a band formed by former civilian bandleader Claude Thornhill that played bases in the South Pacific. He was promoted to the rank of captain.
Jackie served with the Navy in the South Pacific toward the end of World War II. Then, quietly and without publicity or fanfare, compiled one of the most distinguished peacetime military careers of anyone in his profession. In 1961, as his weekly TV series “Hennesey” was enhancing naval recruiting efforts, accepted a commission as a line officer in the Naval Reserve with duties in recruitment, training films and public relations. Holder of a multi-engine pilot license, he later co-piloted jet planes for the Navy, which made him an Honorary Aviator authorized to wear wings of gold–at the time only the third so honored in naval aviation history. By 1976 had attained the rank of Captain, and was in uniform aboard the carrier USS Constellation for the Bicentennial celebration on July 4. In 1980 the Navy proposed a period of active duty at the Pentagon which would have resulted in a promotion to Rear Admiral, bringing him even with Air Force Reserve Brigadier General James Stewart. Fresh on the heels of a second directing Emmy, he felt his absence would impact achieving a long-held goal of directing motion pictures, and reluctantly declined. (The opportunity in films never materialized.) Holds Letters of Commendation from six Secretaries of the Navy. Was honorary chairman of the US Navy Memorial Foundation and a charter member of VIVA, the effort to return POW-MIAs from Vietnam. Upon retirement in 1982 was decorated with the Legion of Merit by Navy Secretary John Lehman. Other than Stewart, no performer in his industry has achieved a higher uniformed rank in the US military. (Glenn Ford was also a Naval Reserve Captain, and director and Captain John Ford was awarded honorary flag rank upon his 1951 retirement from the Naval Reserve.)
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