Cooper C. Woodring,
FIDSA (b.1937)
President of the Industrial Designers Society of America
(IDSA), 1985-1986
Woodring earned a Bachelor's in Industrial Design from the University of Kansas and a Master's in Design from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
He spent two years with F. Eugene Smith Assoc. in Ohio, four years with BFGoodrich Company in New York City, and in 1969, he joined Robert G. Smith, FIDSA at JCPenney Company, also in New York City. He rose through the ranks at JCPenney and eventually replaced Smith when he retired in 1983. In 1974, JCPenney was recognized by IDSA with its Special Award, previously given only five times. in 1986, JCPenney dissolved its design operations and moved its headquarters to Plano, Texas.
At age 49, Woodring started a new design career as an Expert Witness in design patent litigation. To date, he has testified at trial or deposition in 16 cases, loosing only one.
Woodring joined IDSA in 1967, served as New York Chapter Chair in 1978, Chaired the Annual Conference in 1979 and served as Executive Vice President in 1984. It was during Woodring's term as President that IDSA hosted its first ICSID Conference, WORLDESIGN, in Washington, DC. Woodring Co-Founded and Co-Chairs the Design Protection Section of IDSA with Perry J. Saidman, IDSA.
Woodring received an Appointment from President Reagan to head the United States Information Agency's (USIA's) Cultural Exchange Mission, "Design in America", behind the then Iron Curtain. He is the first designer to address The Conference Board, the prestigious Fortune 500 organization; is past-Mayor of Plandome, New York; has testified before the United States Congress on the Industrial Design Innovation and Technology Act; has testified before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); and is the recipient of 33 United States design and utility patents.
Woodring continues his work as an Expert Witness. In one recent case, 50 million dollars changed hands resulting from infringement, ie: the accused design was substantially the same as the patented design.