John Cobb Cooper Jr. (September 18, 1887 – July 22, 1967) was an American lawyer, airline executive and presidential advisor.
His contributions earned him various awards and honors, including an honorary Doctor of Laws from Princeton University and a lunar crater named after him.
His honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Princeton University, declared him the "Father of Air Space Law".
He was the legal counsel to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) from the early 1950s through to the end of his life.
He wrote the first article on the topic of space ownership, "High Altitude Flight and National Sovereignty", in 1951.
His younger brother was movie producer Merian C. Cooper, perhaps most famous for the creation of the movie King Kong in 1933, and whose position as a Director of Pan Am was responsible for recommending his older brother for the position of Pan Am's legal counsel and Vice President.