Joan Ganz Cooney Joan Ganz Cooney ( born November 30 , 1929 in Phoenix , Arizona ) is one of the founders of the Children ' s Television Workshop ( now known as Sesame Workshop ) . Cooney received her B . A . degree in education from the University of Arizona in 1951 . Childhood . Cooney was born Joan Ganz , and adopted the name Joan Redden Ganz , using her mother ' s maiden name . Cooney went to public school in first grade , switching to Catholic school St . Francis Xavier in Phoenix for grades 2 - 8 . She describes herself then as " just a grim , overwrought little kid . " Never able to keep up with her siblings , she always read , much to the chagrin of her mother , who wanted her to get outside . For high school , Cooney went to North Phoenix , while her siblings went to St . Mary ' s . She feels this separation , that she was no longer " their little sister , " let her come into her own . A participant in school plays and even state - wide drama contests , Cooney was sure she wanted to become an actress . She describes herself as the " world ' s happiest adolescent , " especially after not being a happy child . She says that a psychologist once told her " You ' re the only patient I ' ve ever had that ' s ever had a happy adolescence . " One teacher in 1943 , Bud Brown , taught a course on the history of culture , as well as operating Bud Brown Barn , a dancing establishment . Brown was Cooney ' s first teacher to talk about the injustice of segregation , and it " absolutely inflamed " her . Brown talked about Hitler ' s treatment of the Jews , a topic Cooney says " nobody talked about . " " I was 13 years old , and it totally changed my life . " Cooney attended the Catholic girls institution Dominican College , before transferring to the University of Arizona , where she obtained her BA in Education . Life in New York City . Moving to New York City , following stints in newspaper and government work , she was hired in the press department of RCA . There , she wrote regular releases , on prediction of what television would be like in the future , from shopping for groceries , and color transmissions . She met up with the Arizona - born head of a firm that ran publicity at Pat Weaver ' s NBC , moving there after eight or nine months at RCA . At NBC , Cooney promoted the daytime drama lineup , consisting of soap operas . As Cooney had started at RCA with a low wage , and transferred within the same company to NBC , her boss wasn ' t able to raise her income to acceptable levels . He helped Cooney move to publicize " The US Steel Hour " , which aired on CBS . Television production . When someone from " The US Steel Hour " left to go to WGBH in Boston , Cooney was shocked to learn that there was a new educational television movement . She instantly knew that she was meant for such an area of broadcasting , " it was like St . Paul on the highway . " She wanted to become the publicist for what is now WNET . The head of the station told Cooney he had a publicist , but needed producers . After proving she knew the national issues of the time and pursuing the position through a series of notes , she became a producer for the station . Her first program was " Court of Reason " , where two advocates debated , with an audience of three expert judges . Cooney ' s first documentary produced was " Cuba : A Chance at the Beginning " . Through this , she met Tim Cooney , who would become her husband . The first episodes focused on adult literacy programs , teenage program Har U in Harlem , and Martin Doutch ' s program for four - year - olds in Harlem . Head Start was started within months of the third episode airing , and bought 125 prints of the episode to use for teacher training . Cooney " gave a little dinner party " in 1966 with her then - husband Tim Cooney , Lloyd Morrisett ( Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation ) and his wife Mary , and Louis Friedman . Carnegie Corporation had been researching children ' s education ; Morrisett was inspired by Friedman ' s speaking on how the medium of television had not been properly tapped to educate children . Morrisett called Friedman and Cooney over to the Foundation ' s offices a few days later . During the meeting , Morrisett and Friedman agreed on created a study by channel Thirteen , to investigate what reactions would be to such a program . During the meeting , Morrisett mentioned that Cooney wouldn ' t be interested in such a project , as she was involved in public affairs programming . Cooney remembers yelling back " Oh yes , I would ! " Friedman passed her enthuasiasm off , as he didn ' t want to lose her from his crew . One day , Tim Cooney and Morrisett were having lunch together on a separate matter . Tim suggested to Joan that he mention the project , and Joan agreed , knowing she would never get involved with Friedman in the way . Morrisett eventually convinced Friedman that he wanted Cooney , who went on a three - month leave of absence from documentary production . Cooney toured the United States and Canada , talking to educators , researchers , and television producers . She wrote a paper based on this study , titled " The Potential Uses of Television in Preschool Education " . Cooney says that she always knew television could teach , as kids nationwide sang advertisement jingles perfectly from memory , but a paper was needed to make things conclusive and systematic . The paper suggested the basic format of what was to become " Sesame Street " , along with unused components . The study also motioned for the creation of children ' s television production company , to be part of channel Thirteen ; she couldn ' t suggest to her employer that such an organization would be independent . Harold Howe , US Commissioner of Education , liked the findings of the report , and the Ford Foundation soon became interested in such a series . Children ' s Television Workshop established . Moving to Carnegie , to act and advise independent of Thirteen , Cooney began laying the groundwork for the Children ' s Television Workshop . Carnegie hired Linda Gotley to help Cooney write the proposal . Barbara Finnburg and Morrisett would regularly act as funders , every few days trying to find holes in the proposal . During these days , segments like " One of these things is not like the other " were established . Despite the insistence of the US Office of Education that there was no money to fund the project , Howe persisted , and insisted the project be classified as a research project . Ford joined funding , as did the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , which was being established just as " Sesame Street " was . Between those organizations and Carnegie , $ 8 million was raised to create a semi - autonomous organization . This organization was established to become completely separate , should they succeed . At a press conference in March 1968 , the Children ' s Television Workshop and " Sesame Street " were announced . Jack Gould , television critic for " The New York Times " gave the project front page space . " If you had Jack Gould in your corner , you could not believe what it meant . " Cooney also served as executive producer on " Follow That Bird " , the first " Sesame Street " film . Cooney later stepped down as president of CTW , but is still involved with the series , currently serving as chair of Sesame Workshop ' s executive committee . Other . Cooney was a cofounder of " wowOwow " , a mature woman ' s website , along with Candice Bergen , Joan Juliet Buck , Whoopi Goldberg , Judith Martin , Sheila Nevins , Peggy Noonan , Julia Reed , Liz Smith , Lesley Stahl , Marlo Thomas , Lily Tomlin , Jane Wagner , Mary Wells , and Joni Evans . Her granddaughter ' s first words were " Big Bird " . Sources . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _