Life and career[edit]

Loper was born to John Loper and Ellen Leaders in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 4, 1931.^[1] He obtained a bachelor's degree in journalism from Arizona State University in 1953, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.^[2] He earned his master's degree from the University of Denver in 1957.^[1] He moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1959 to begin his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California (USC), which he finished in 1967.^[1] He then taught as a faculty member at USC.^[1]


Loper co-founded KCET, a PBS affiliate in Los Angeles, during the early 1960s as an affiliate of National Educational Television.^[3][1] He was working on his doctorate at the University of Southern California at the time of KCET's launch in 1964.^[3] Loper became KCET's first director of education from 1964 to 1966.^[3] He became the President and General Manager from 1966 to 1971, before serving as the President KCET from 1971 until 1983.^[3][1]


Loper then served as the Executive Director of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which holds the Emmy Awards, from 1984 until 1999.^[3] Under Loper, the Emmy Awards were expanded to include nominees from cable television in 1988.^[3][1] Loper oversaw the creation of the Archive of American Television, which interviews and archives notable people from the history of television.^[3] Loper was also responsible for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences's relocation to its current headquarters in North Hollywood, California.^[3]


James Loper died at his home in Pasadena, California, on July 8, 2013, at the age of 81.^[3] He was survived by his wife, former Los Angeles Times columnist Mary Lou Loper, and two children, Elizabeth Serhan and James L. Loper Jr.^[1]