Media

Frank Markus '86 Motor Trend  magazine – Technical Director

Brother Markus writes:
I graduated in mechanical engineering, never taking a single English or writing class at the U of I, but after six years in engineering at Chrysler I went to work writing for Car and Driver magazine as a technical editor. After 13 years there, I recently made the move to Motor Trend magazine. As technical director, I oversee all testing and other numbers generation, and I edit the entire magazine for technical accuracy. I also write several articles per month, including a monthly column. I recently received an International Wheel Award for best product review, in recognition of my Ford Mustang road test from 2004.

According to his biography at Motor Trend, "his main duties include covering the Detroit automotive beat and serving as a fine-screen filter to ensure technical or numerical accuracy in our text and specifications charts. Frank's auto enthusiasm runs the gamut, but he favors British and Italian sports cars with garage space (he owns a 1967 Sunbeam Alpine and a 1967 Maserati Ghibli)."

Aubrey O. Cookman '35
Editor –Popular Mechanics magazine
Reporter – Chicago Daily News
PR Executive – Burson Marsteller
Republican Party leader, avid balloonist

Brother Cookman was a former Republican Party leader, civic activist and the only American passenger on the first commercial jet flight. Republican leaders praised Cookman for his dedication, leadership and character. “He was just an absolutely great American,” said Edward Lujan, who served as state Republican chairman from 1983-88. “I really, truly looked up to him a lot. He was the kind of person that I would strive to be like.” His brother, former Interior Secretary and Congressman Manuel Lujan, said Cookman was known as a kind, conciliatory person. “He was a guy that brought people together,” said Manuel Lujan, calling that the trait of a good political leader. Cookman was a close friend of former President George H.W. Bush. Edward Lujan said the two men often played tennis together. Cookman was state chairman of Bush's presidential campaign in 1980 when Bush and Ronald Reagan vied for the nomination. Cookman and Colin McMillan were co-chairmen for Bush when he ran successfully for president in 1988. Edward Lujan said Cookman was “a charming man, very dedicated to the party and very dedicated to his family. There aren’t enough words to express my admiration for him.”

Born in Chicago, Cookman was a reporter at the Chicago Daily News. He was in the Army Air Corps during World War II and eventually became a colonel in the reserves. Later, his position as aviation editor for Popular Mechanics Magazine gave him the opportunity to be the only American passenger on the first jet flight in 1952.

Brother Cookman's next career move was in the field of public relations, working in the Chicago offices of Burson Marsteller. According to the BM website, Brother Cookman was there at the beginning of their business in Chicago:
Our second hire was Aubrey Cookman, a well known Chicago news reporter and a retired Air Force colonel. Cookman, whom Bill Marsteller had known for many years, was general manager. Although he had managed an Air Force public information unit, Cookman had never worked for a public relations firm. He headed the office six years and left to join our client Universal Oil Products.

After retiring from the public relations job, he and his wife came to Albuquerque in 1974. He volunteered to help plan the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, serving eight years as media director. Known for his infectious smile and engaging personality, Cookman eventually became chairman of the Bernalillo County Republican Party and served from 1983-85. He also was on the Open Space Advisory Board, helping determine the best public use for thousands of acres, including land in Petroglyph National Monument and Elena Gallegos Park. Cookman, who served on numerous committees, was honored for his civic work by being inducted in the Hot Air Balloon Hall of Fame and the Senior Citizens' Hall of Fame. "He dabbled in all kinds of things," said Cookman’s wife. “His main first love was the balloon fiesta. Then he took a political position and that became his big love.”

Willis Brown '31
Executive – Minneapolis Star Tribune

Willis Brown spent 34 years as an executive for newspapers in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune Co. before retiring to Scottsdale in 1968. In 1974 he began a one-year stint as acting publisher of the Scottsdale Progress when publisher Jonathan Marshall campaigned unsuccessfully to unseat then Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz. Mr Marshall stated, “I stayed out of the paper pretty much for the whole year. Willis had been the publisher of the Rapid City, South Dakota newspaper, and I had gotten to know him after he came down here. He was an experienced newspaper guy and I figured if I was going to run I had to have someone who could handle the paper while I was away. “He was very popular and everyone liked him – he was a real gentleman of the old school.” Marshall said.

In 1987 Brown was a consultant in the sale of the Progress to Cowles communications, parent company of the Star and Tribune. The newspaper was resold in 1993, becoming part of the East Valley Tribune family. Brown taught journalism for a year at Arizona State University. He is also credited with working with Jack Stewart, founder of the Camelback Inn, to design the promotional and advertising campaign for a holiday football game that became the Fiesta Bowl in 1971. In 1988 he was named to a national advisory board that worked to revamp the Navajo Times at Window Rock, where he was interim publisher for three months.