John Cowles, Jr.

John Cowles, Jr. (1929) is an American editor and publisher. Cowles sat on the boards of directors of the The Associated Press and Columbia University's Pulitzer Prizes and is a former CEO of Cowles Media Company, founded by his grandfather and until 1998 the parent of the "Star Tribune". [cite web|title=Media profiles|publisher= Ketupa.net|url=http://www.ketupa.net/cowles.htm|accessdate=2007-08-31] cite news|author=Wyant, Carissa|title=Cowles, Lynch back Web daily venture|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2007/08/27/daily5.html|work=Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal|publisher=American City Business Journals, Inc.|date=2007-08-27|accessdate=2007-08-27] In 1960, he helped Minneapolis raise US$2.4 million to build the first Guthrie Theater and later helped the city build the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. Cowles then supported the Guthrie's demolition in 2006 for the expansion of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden next door to the Walker Art Center. In a 2006 essay written at the University of Minnesota Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Cowles wrote, "The nonprofit sector must reform itself, most notably by initiating some minimum federal standards of behavior and by limiting the lifespan of private foundations to 25 or 30 years so that emphasis is on accomplishment, not process and perpetuation." [cite news|author=Webb, Latasha|title=Guthrie Theater demolition plans fuel patron debate|url=http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2001/11/07/28779|publisher=The Minnesota Daily|date=2001-11-07|accessdate=2007-08-30 and cite web|author=Gelfand, Lou|title=Nonprofits champion Cowles calls for limits on their lifetimes|url=http://www.startribune.com/kstp_homes/story/537858.html|work=Star Tribune|publisher=Avista Capital Partners|date=2006-07-09|accessdate=2007-09-01] In 1965, Cowles acquired half-interest in "Harper's" magazine which during his fifteen year tenure lost readers and nearly US$2 million.cite news|title=Harper's Bazaar|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898751,00.html|work=Time|publisher=Time Warner Inc.|date=1965-05-07|accessdate=2007-08-30] [cite journal|title=Harper's Magazine: A Survivor!|author=Manning, Robert review of Lapham, Lewis H. and Ellen Rosenbush, eds. (2000). "An American Album: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Harper's Magazine" Franklin Square Press. ISBN 1879957531|journal=Nieman Reports, The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University|volume=54|issue=3|url=http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/00-3NRfall/Harper's-Magazine.html|date=Fall 2000|accessdate=2007-08-30] He donated startup funds for MinnPost.com which was founded in 2007.

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Further reading

*cite web|author=Cowles, John Jr.|title=Behind the Curve: Philanthropy Revisited|url=http://www.hhh.umn.edu/img/assets/20143/jcowles_behind_curve.pdf|format=PDF|date=April 2006|publisher=Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota|accessdate=2007-09-01