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Former child actor Jackie Cooper passed away on Tuesday in a Beverly
Hills hospital, his family has announced. He was 88.

Cooper, who was featured in Hal Roach's "Our Gang" series, became the
youngest actor to ever be nominated for*a Best Actor Academy Award, when he
was nominated at the age of 9 for his work in the 1931 film "Skippy."

In later years, Cooper served as a VP of program development for Columbia
Pictures' Screen Gems division. He also worked behind the screen as a director,
and won two Emmy Awards for directing work on "M*A*S*H*" and "The White Shadow."

As an actor, Cooper experienced renewed fame as gruff newspaper editor Perry
White in the "Superman" film series of the late '70s and early '80s. He
announced his retirement in 1989.

Born John Cooper Jr. in Los Angeles in 1922, he was married three times, to
June Horne from 1944 to 1949; to Hildy Parks from 1950 to 1951; and to Barbara
Kraus from 1954 until her passing in 2009.

In all, Cooper had four children, though he outlived*his two daughters,
Julie and Cristina. Cooper is survived by sons John and Russell.

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