Richard McCooey
Richard J McCooey (October 14, 1930 – August 6, 2014) was a restaurateur and founder of restaurant 1789 and The Tombs. [1] A graduate of Georgetown University in 1952, Richard lived most of his adult life in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
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Early life and education
Born October 14, 1930, in Brooklyn, NY, Richard McCooey was the third of four brothers Herbert, John, and Richard’s twin Robert.[2] After his father died and his mother later remarried, the family moved from Brooklyn, New York to Bronxville, New York. Richard attended Brooklyn Prep and then Iona Prep.[3]
Richard graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in both History and Government in 1952. While at Georgetown, Richard served as “President of the Yard,” the precursor to the Georgetown University Student Association, the current student government body on campus, and participated in the Army ROTC program.[1]
After graduation, Richard joined the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant for 2 years, serving as Club officer. After his service, McCooey worked for Benton & Bowles, an advertising agency in New York.
Richard married Karen Magnier McCooey in 1990 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, their church, one block from 1789 and Georgetown University on 36th Street.[1] Their reception was held at 1789 Restaurant.
Professional career
In the early 1960s, Richard returned to Washington, D.C. at the invitation of the Rev. Edward B. Bunn, the president of Georgetown University from 1952 to 1964. Father Bunn finally approved of opening a formal restaurant and a student rathskeller near the main campus that Richard dreamed of had since freshman year at Georgetown.[1] In 1962, with support of the university which owned the land, Richard realized his dream, opening a restaurant named 1789 and a student rathskeller in the basement called The Tombs.[1] Despite initial opposition from the Georgetown community, Richard, with the help of Georgetowner newspaper founder, Ami Stewart, convinced citizens after the legal battle 1960, 1, 1 "Town Gown".[3]
Richard’s deep connection to Georgetown inspired the naming of 1789 and The Tombs. For 3 reasons, Richard was inspired for 1789 by John Carroll (bishop), who founded Georgetown, the first Catholic and Jesuit institution of higher learning in the United States, in 1789. That year also marked when the state legislature made the port of Georgetown a Maryland town. Finally, 1789 was the year the U.S. consitution was enacted. [4] Richard named The Tombs after a poem from T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” in “Bustopher Jones, The Cat About Town” enjoys lunch at the tomb. During his service in the Air Force, Richard’s nickname was “Bustopher Cat.”[1]
1789 is decorated as an upscale and classic “Old Georgetown” setting. Tombs reflects themes of sports, the bar of WWII posters, while the sweeps within the building were of rowing. 1789 and The Tombs share a federal-style townhouse dating from the mid-1800s.[5] In 1964, Richard established the tradition of the “Chimes Nights” for the Georgetown Chimes, inspired by the Whiffenpoofs’ weekly performances at Yale local establishment Morey’s.
Richard purchased two adjacent properties in 1975 and opened F. Scott’s, a nightclub with an art-deco design and ambiance, named for novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald. F,[1] a distant cousin of Francis Scott Key, a Georgetowner who authored the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". Scotts was transformed into a private event space before closing in the summer of 2016. In 2018, it was disassembled and redesigned as a part of 1789 bar
In 1985, Richard sold his restaurants to Clyde’s Restaurant Group[1], a deal organized by John Laytham, President and CEO of Clyde’s, a graduate of Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and close friend of Richard. Both locations remain in operation today by Clyde’s. The serene, white-tablecloth setting remains a frequent spot for fine dining for the Washington crowd, including hosting most recently President Barack Obama's dinner with German chancellor Angela Merkel.[1]
Less than one year later, Richard founded restaurant design company Persona Studios.[1] In partnership with his wife Karen, whom Richard married in 1990, Richard remained heavily involved in design and decoration for his former restaurants, while also consulting for Clydes both in the Washington area and beyond.[6] Persona Studios also designed for the Union Street Cafe in Alexandria and the Polo Club dining room at the Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel.
Awards
In San Francisco, Richard was the recipient of the Georgetown University John Carroll Award,[6]. named after Archbishop John Carroll, the first Catholic bishop in North America and founder of Georgetown University. Established in 1951, the John Carroll Award is conferred upon alumni whose achievements and record of service exemplify the ideals and traditions of Georgetown and its founder.
Legacy
Richard died on August 6, 2014 in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 83.[6]. Richard and his wife Karen lived nearly their entire adult lives in Georgetown, a community and a university to whom he worked with for his entire life.
Karen has continued Richard’s design group to include sales of classic American prints and sports merchandise, as well as the custom framing and design for restaurants and homes.