R-138 Page 1 of 1
2023
No. R-138. House concurrent resolution in memory of former Brookfield Fire Captain and Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Edward Benjamin Koren.
(H.C.R.112)
Offered by: Representatives Hooper of Randolph and Satcowitz of Randolph Offered by: Senator MacDonald Whereas, former Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department Captain Ed Koren was dedicated to serving his Orange County community, which he had called home since 1982,
as a volunteer ready to respond to the sounding of the alarm, and Whereas, his civic service was locally appreciated, but Ed Koren’s extraordinary creativity as a cartoonist was world-renowned, and Whereas, the distinguished artistic and literary career of Ed Koren proceeded from his undergraduate alma mater, Columbia University, where he edited the humor magazine, The Jester; to studies in engraving, etching, and printmaking at the prestigious Atelier 17 in Paris; to a master of fine arts from Pratt Institute, credentials that led to an associate art professorship at Brown University, and Whereas, although a respected academic, Ed Koren was truly a man of action, as his firefighting service exemplifies, and for over 60 years, his unique characters, sporting frilly hair, elongated noses, and, on occasion, offering political satire mixed with gentle humor,
graced the pages and covers of the New Yorker magazine and numerous other periodicals;
appeared as illustrations in his children’s books, the books of other authors, and in
compendiums of his sketches; and they are held in the collections of galleries and museums, and Whereas, he incorporated Vermont references into his cartoons and generously donated his work to charitable fundraisers, and Whereas, his many accolades included the Vermont Arts Council’s Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and his designation as the second Vermont Cartoonist Laureate,
and Whereas, truly devoted to his craft, Ed Koren’s final New Yorker cartoon was published posthumously, three days after his death on April 14, 2023, at 87 years of age, and his survivors include his wife, Catherine; his children; and his grandchildren, now therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly extends its condolences to the family of Edward Benjamin Koren, and be it further Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the family of Ed Koren, the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department, and the New Yorker magazine.
VT LEG #370768 v.1