James Loper

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]

• James Leaders Loper papers at the University of Maryland libraries