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August Coppola
August Coppola
August Coppola
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August Floyd Coppola (February 16, 1934 – October 27, 2009) was an American academic, author, film executive, and member of the Coppola family.

Key Information

Early life and family

[edit]

August Coppola was the son of composer and flautist Carmine Coppola (1910–1991) and Italia Pennino (1912–2004), a lyricist and matriarch of the Coppola family. His uncle was composer Anton Coppola. His siblings are film director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire. Among his nieces and nephews are director Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman. His children are actor Nicolas Cage, radio DJ Marc Coppola, and director Christopher Coppola.

Education and work

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Coppola received an undergraduate degree at UCLA and a graduate degree at Hofstra University, from which his thesis, Ernest Hemingway: The Problem of In Our Time, was published in 1956. He earned his doctorate at Occidental College in 1960. Coppola taught comparative literature at Cal State Long Beach in the 1960s and '70s and served as a trustee of the California State University system before moving to San Francisco in 1984. He then served as Dean of Creative Arts at San Francisco State University. In that role, he earned a reputation for championing the arts on the campus and in the community and for promoting diversity within the student body of the arts school.[citation needed]

Coppola also worked in film like many other members of his family. He was an executive at American Zoetrope, his brother Francis Ford Coppola's film studio, where he was involved in reviving Abel Gance's Napoléon with a new score by his father.[1] Coppola founded and presided over the San Francisco Film and Video Arts Commission[2] and, in 1986, served on the jury of the 36th Berlin International Film Festival[3] He also held the positions of chairman and CEO of Education First!, an organization dedicated to seeking Hollywood studio support for educational programs.

Coppola also advocated for art appreciation among the visually impaired. He is credited as the creator of the Tactile Dome—a lightless maze that requires visitors to pass through using only the sense of touch—at the San Francisco Exploratorium.[4] In 1972, Coppola opened the AudioVision Workshop with colleague Gregory Frazier, which employed Frazier's process of audio recording descriptions of film and theater action for the benefit of visually impaired audiences.[5]

Additionally, Coppola authored the romantic novel The Intimacy in 1978.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Coppola married German-American dancer Joy Vogelsang (1935–2021) in 1960.[6] They had three sons: Marc, Christopher, and Nicolas.[7] Coppola and Vogelsang divorced in 1976; she died in 2021. He married Marie Thenevin on April 16, 1981. That marriage ended in 1986. His last marriage was to Martine Chevallier, an actress with the Comédie-Française in Paris. Coppola's final home was in Los Angeles, where he died of a heart attack on October 27, 2009, at age 75.[citation needed]

Legacy

[edit]

The 150-seat August Coppola Theater on the San Francisco State University campus is named in his honor.[8] Francis Ford Coppola dedicated his 1983 film Rumble Fish to him.[9]

Nicolas Cage partially based his idea for the film The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) and his character Balthazar on his father August Coppola.[10][11][12] The closing credits read "With Memories of Dr. August Coppola".[13]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
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August Coppola

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August Floyd Coppola (February 16, 1934 – October 27, 2009) was an American academic, author, film executive, and arts advocate, best known as the brother of filmmaker and the father of actor . Born in , to composer and lyricist , August grew up in a creative family alongside siblings and actress . He earned a bachelor's degree in from the , a master's in English from , and a Ph.D. in from in 1960. Coppola's academic career spanned several decades, beginning as a professor of comparative literature at , during the 1960s and 1970s, where he was noted for his innovative and eccentric teaching methods. He later served as dean of the College of Liberal and Creative Arts and of cinema at from 1984 to 1992, and as a trustee of the system. In film and administration, he worked with on projects like the revival of Abel Gance's Napoléon, founded and presided over the San Francisco Film and Video Commission, and served on the jury of the 36th in 1986. As an advocate, he co-created the immersive Tactile Dome exhibit at the in , promoting and accessibility in the arts. Coppola was also an author, publishing the romantic novel The Intimacy in 1978, and his legacy in education is honored through the August Coppola Theater at and a named conference room at Cal State Long Beach. He married three times—to Joy Vogelsang (1955–1976), Marie Thenevin (1981–1986), and Martine Chevallier—and had three sons: radio personality Marc Coppola, filmmaker , and (born Nicolas Kim Coppola). Coppola died of a heart attack in at age 75.

Early life

Birth and family origins

August Floyd Coppola was born on February 16, 1934, in , as the eldest child of Carmine Valentino Coppola, a classically trained flutist and , and Italia Pennino, a from an Italian immigrant family. His siblings included younger brother , born in 1939 and later renowned as a filmmaker, and sister , born in 1946 and known for her acting career. The Coppola family's Italian heritage traced back to grandparents Agostino "August" Coppola and Maria Zasa, who immigrated from in the region of around 1905, settling initially in New York before establishing roots in the . The family, deeply involved in music and the arts from their early generations in America, relocated from and to the area in the 1940s, seeking greater opportunities in the amid Carmine's professional pursuits.

Childhood and upbringing

In 1941, the family relocated to , New York, after Carmine was engaged by to join the , immersing the children in the city's dynamic urban cultural landscape and opportunities to attend performances. This move marked a pivotal shift in the family's environment, with Carmine's role as a prominent studio musician providing direct exposure to the world, including concerts and orchestral rehearsals that became part of daily life. The household fostered creativity, as Italia supported artistic expression through infused with cultural activities, while Carmine's musical pursuits filled the home with instruments, scores, and discussions on composition. In this middle-class Italian-American setting, August's early interests in and blossomed, influenced by lively family conversations, ready access to books, and a constant soundtrack of music that encouraged imaginative exploration. He shared this formative environment with his siblings, Francis and Talia, amid the close-knit dynamics of their immigrant-rooted family. The family's experiences reflected broader challenges for Italian-American communities in the Northeast during the post-World War II era, including lingering economic strains from the , wartime restrictions classifying many as "enemy aliens," and the pressures of rebuilding amid rationing and job instability.

Education

Undergraduate studies

August Coppola attended the (UCLA) for his undergraduate studies, earning a degree in . His enrollment at UCLA in the early immersed him in philosophy coursework that sparked his enduring interest in and , laying the groundwork for his subsequent pursuits in comparative studies.

Graduate degrees and influences

Following his undergraduate degree in , August Coppola pursued advanced studies in , earning a in English from in the mid-1950s. His thesis, titled Ernest Hemingway: The Problem of In Our Time, which was published in 1956, centered on literary analysis of the author's thematic concerns. Coppola then completed a in and interdisciplinary studies at in 1960. This program equipped him with expertise in analyzing literary works across cultures and media, though specific details of his dissertation remain undocumented in available records. His graduate training occurred amid the burgeoning cultural transformations of the late and early , including the rise of civil rights activism and artistic experiments that influenced interdisciplinary approaches in literature. The field during this era emphasized cross-cultural narratives and the fusion of literature with visual and , shaping Coppola's later scholarly interests.

Academic career

Teaching positions

August Coppola began his academic teaching career as a professor of at (CSULB), where he served from the 1960s through the 1970s. As one of the founding members of the university's department, he taught courses on and contributed to the program's early development. During his tenure at CSULB, Coppola developed innovative curricula that integrated with , notably creating the course "Film and Novel in Society," originally titled "The Novel and the Motion Picture in Contemporary Society." This interdisciplinary approach encouraged students to explore connections between literary texts and cinematic adaptations, fostering critical thinking across media forms. He also inaugurated the annual Conference, which brought scholars and students together to discuss global literary traditions, and founded Genre: An International Journal of Literature and the Arts in , serving as its general editor and contributing scholarly prefaces and articles. His efforts in these areas earned him the first Distinguished Teaching Award at CSULB, recognizing his impact on interdisciplinary education. In 1984, Coppola transitioned to San Francisco State University, where he taught as a professor of cinema until 1992, applying his background in comparative literature—earned through a Ph.D. from Occidental College—to courses examining film as a narrative and artistic medium. His teaching emphasized the sensory and cultural dimensions of cinema, building on his earlier work to influence students in blending literary analysis with visual storytelling.

Administrative roles

August Coppola held several key administrative positions in higher education, with a focus on advancing arts and creative programs within the system. Early in his career at (CSULB), where he taught from the 1960s through the 1970s, Coppola founded and served as the first director of the University Honors Program, fostering interdisciplinary academic excellence for high-achieving students. He also served as a for the system from 1981 to 1984, contributing to statewide policy discussions on postsecondary education during a period of fiscal challenges. In 1984, Coppola was appointed dean of the College of Creative Arts at (SF State), a role he held until 1992, during which he oversaw significant growth in the institution's offerings in , theater, , and related disciplines. Under his leadership, the college expanded through the development of the multidisciplinary Fine Arts Building, which included specialized facilities such as and sound editing labs, a , and design studios, an , and a 150-seat theater—facilities that opened in 1993 following his tenure. Coppola's advocacy for funding was instrumental in securing $15 million from the amid broader budget constraints, leveraging his connections in the entertainment industry and political spheres to prioritize arts infrastructure. As dean, Coppola championed curriculum reforms that emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration across fields, encouraging innovative pedagogical approaches that integrated into creative education. A notable example was the establishment of the Audio Vision Workshop in partnership with Gregory Frazier, which developed methods for audio-describing scenes to make cinema accessible to blind audiences, thereby advancing technology's role in inclusive instruction. These initiatives not only broadened program scope but also positioned SF State's College of Creative Arts as a leader in adaptive and multimedia training. Coppola served concurrently as dean and professor of cinema at SF State from 1984 to 1992, after which his direct administrative involvement waned, though the enduring impact of his expansions persisted through the 1990s.

Contributions to film and arts

Involvement with American Zoetrope

August Coppola joined his brother Francis Ford Coppola's studio in the 1970s, serving as an executive. A notable project under his involvement was the 1980 revival and restoration of Abel Gance's 1927 silent epic Napoléon, where coordinated major screenings, including the U.S. premiere with a live orchestral score composed by their father, . In 1986, Coppola served on the jury of the 36th .

Innovations in sensory arts

August Coppola made significant contributions to sensory arts through his creation of the Tactile Dome at the in in 1971. This immersive installation is a dark structure, approximately the size of a large , designed as a navigated entirely by touch in total darkness. Visitors enter through a light-lock and spend about 75 minutes exploring varied textures, shapes, temperatures, and pressures, which disorient visual reliance and heighten haptic awareness. As part of the movement, the Tactile Dome challenged conventional visual biases in art, positioning touch as a primary mode of aesthetic engagement and sensory exploration. Building on this, Coppola extended his innovations to enhance accessibility in for blind individuals during the 1970s. In 1972, he co-founded the AudioVision Workshop with Gregory Frazier, which provided audio descriptions of films and theater to assist visually impaired audiences. These efforts broadened participation in cultural experiences for non-sighted audiences. In the , Coppola founded and served as president of the Film and Video Arts Commission, an organization dedicated to promoting film and video arts. This initiative reflected his broader vision for advancing experimental media, drawing from his background in .

Personal life

Marriages and children

August Coppola's first marriage was to dancer Joy Adrienne Vogelsang on August 20, 1955, in , . The couple had three sons: Marc Coppola, born in 1958, who became a and voice actor; , born in 1962, who pursued a career as a ; and Nicolas Kim Coppola, born January 7, 1964, who later adopted the stage name Nicolas Cage in the to establish his own identity in acting. The marriage ended in divorce in 1976. Coppola's second marriage was to Marie J. Thenevin on April 16, 1981; the union lasted until 1983 and produced no children. His third and final marriage was to French actress Martine Chevallier, known for her work with the , in 1996; this partnership endured until Coppola's death. As a literature professor and arts advocate, Coppola raised his sons amid the Hollywood influences of his brother Francis Ford Coppola's burgeoning career, exposing them to art-house cinema such as Federico Fellini's and Orson Welles's . He encouraged their creative pursuits while emphasizing the value of formal , a principle that shaped their diverse paths in entertainment and beyond; Nicolas later credited his father with igniting his passion for .

Death

August Coppola died on October 27, 2009, at the age of 75, from a heart attack outside his home in , . The sudden nature of his passing was attributed to natural causes associated with his age, with no prior major health issues or controversies publicly detailed in the lead-up to his death. Following his death, obituaries appeared in major publications, emphasizing Coppola's enduring legacy in arts education and his familial ties to prominent figures in film. For instance, the highlighted his role as a , , and advocate for , noting his contributions to institutions like . Similarly, the described him as a former dean whose innovative approaches to creative arts left a lasting impact on academia and the cultural scene. Details on funeral arrangements remained private, with no of services or memorials widely reported at the time, reflecting the family's preference for discretion in personal matters.

Legacy

Publications and writings

August Coppola authored the novel The Intimacy, published in 1978 by , which explores romantic and erotic themes through the story of a couple living in total darkness to emphasize tactile experiences over visual ones. As a founding editor, Coppola established and oversaw Genre: An International Journal of Literature and the Arts, with its inaugural issue (Volume 1, Number 1) appearing in under the Comparative World Literature department at ; the journal featured global literary works and artistic contributions to promote cross-cultural dialogue. Coppola's academic writings in , spanning the 1960s to 1980s, addressed philosophical and psychological dimensions in modern authors, including analyses of existential themes in the works of and , published in scholarly journals to highlight cross-cultural narrative intersections. He also edited and narrated The Sound of World Poetry, an audio publication released in 1967 by Scholastic Records, presenting readings of poems by figures such as Baudelaire, Verlaine, and Goethe in their original languages to underscore auditory dimensions of international literature.

Honors and lasting impact

In recognition of his transformative leadership as dean of the College of Creative Arts at from 1984 to 1992, the 150-seat August Coppola Theater in the Fine Arts Building was named in his honor upon its opening in 1993. This venue, equipped for 16mm and 35mm film projection with sound, continues to serve as a key space for cinema screenings and arts events on campus. Additionally, the Coppola Conference Room in the Department of Comparative World Literature and Classics at , is named in his honor. Coppola held influential trusteeships in educational and arts institutions, including as a trustee of the system from 1981 to 1984 and as founder and president of the Film and Video Arts Commission, where he championed diverse artistic expression and community engagement in film. These roles underscored his commitment to advancing sensory and participatory arts, earning him a reputation as a figure in arts education. His influence also manifested in indirect ties to his brother Francis Ford Coppola's work, notably as the dedicatee of the 1983 film , which drew from familial dynamics and featured in his early screen role. Coppola's enduring legacy in arts education is evident in the ongoing operation of the Tactile Dome at the , which he co-created in 1971 as a pioneering exhibit in the movement, encouraging non-visual sensory exploration and remaining a centerpiece of interactive museum design. At San Francisco State, his vision for interdisciplinary creative practice continues to inspire faculty and students, fostering innovative programs that blend , cinema, and sensory arts decades after his tenure.

References

  1. https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-august-coppola30-2009oct30-story.html
  2. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46473990/august_floyd-coppola
  3. https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/comparative-world-literature-and-classics/august-coppola
  4. https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LJ1B-RMW/august-floyd-coppola-1934-2009
  5. https://www.ocregister.com/obituaries/august-coppola-ca/
  6. https://www.geni.com/people/August-Coppola/6000000000769372089
  7. https://www.geni.com/people/Carmine-Coppola/6000000000769271683
  8. https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schumacher-coppola.html
  9. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1976/08/francis-ford-coppola/662909/
  10. https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/27/obituaries/carmine-coppola-80-conductor-and-composer-for-his-son-s-films.html
  11. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0178874/bio/
  12. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/29/coppola-dynasties-ian-sansom
  13. https://www.afi.com/laa/francis-ford-coppola/
  14. https://www.everyculture.com/multi/Ha-La/Italian-Americans.html
  15. https://variety.com/2016/film/spotlight/francis-ford-coppola-hands-and-feet-the-godfather-1201762144/
  16. https://www.sfgate.com/education/article/August-Coppola-arts-educator-dies-at-75-3282007.php
  17. https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/comparative-world-literature-and-classics/coppola-conference-room
  18. https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/comparative-world-literature-and-classics/history-of-comparative-world
  19. https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/comparative-world-literature-and-classics/current-comparative-literature
  20. https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-liberal-arts/comparative-world-literature-and-classics/genre-history-past-issues-0
  21. https://lbcurrent.com/news/2009/11/23/former-professor-blended-creative-arts-sensory-experiences/
  22. https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/about-the-csu/leadership/Pages/past-present-leadership.aspx
  23. https://magazine.sfsu.edu/archive/archive/fall_10/sky.html
  24. https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/tactile-dome/1971-press-release
  25. https://www.exploratorium.edu/visit/tactile-dome
  26. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1692024/bio/
  27. https://www.myheritage.com/names/august_coppola
  28. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nicolas-cages-father-dies-75-90685/
  29. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/orangecounty/name/august-coppola-obituary?id=22283798
  30. https://library.syracuse.edu/digital/guides/g/grove_press.htm
  31. https://search.worldcat.org/title/The-sound-of-world-poetry/oclc/3802787
  32. https://cinema.sfsu.edu/our-history
  33. https://www.calstate.edu/csu-system/board-of-trustees/reports-of-the-chair/Pages/november-2009.aspx
  34. https://inreviewonline.com/2024/10/02/retro-rumble-fish/
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