Anderson Cooper’s father is Wyatt Emory Cooper. He was born on September 1, 1927 in Quitman, Mississippi. Unlike Anderson’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, Wyatt was born poor. His father, Emmet Debro Cooper, was a farmer and he had eight siblings. Wyatt’s mother, Rixie Jane Annie, was a housewife.
 |
| Who Is Anderson Cooper’s Father? |
Similar to Vanderbilt, Wyatt’s family had an impressive history. His grandmother’s family was the very first to settle in the Virginia Colony. Wyatt’s granduncle, Jim Bull, was a part of the Confederate army and fought in the Civil War.
When Wyatt was young he was a natural storyteller and dreamed to become an actor. He delivered guest sermons at Quitman’s First Baptist Church when the preacher was away and he loved watching movies. He would hitch rides into town to see Gone with the Wind and other movies at the town’s movie theater.
The family had deep southern roots and eventually moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. In New Orleans, the Cooper family lived in the Ninth ward. Wyatt attended Francis T. Nicholls High School located at 3820 St. Claude Avenue. The school was later renamed Frederick Douglass High School and is now a public charter school known as KIPP Renaissance High School.
Wyatt liked New Orleans much more than Quitman. He experienced his first opera and ballet in New Orleans and believed the city was much more exotic than Quitman. Despite his love for New Orleans, the family eventually moved back to Mississippi, settling in the city of Meridian.
Wyatt’s father, Emmet, wanted his son to pursue a career in politics. In his twenties, Wyatt decided to move to New York to pursue his acting career. He landed a few TV commercials and even some minor roles on TV shows. His acting career never took off so he transitioned to screenwriting. Wyatt eventually landed a job with 20th Century Fox.