A Look Back: Photos from 1958

January 25, 2023

An industry legend — and artist

Norman Cooper served the pest control industry for 63 years, collecting accolades along the way. Before his death in 2017 at age 85, he founded Abbey Exterminating Co. in 1954, sold his company to ESCO in 1971, and later consulted on mergers and acquisitions for PCO Bookkeepers. Cooper was inducted into the Pest Management Professional (PMP) Hall of Fame in 1999. He served as president of what is now the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) from 1991 to 1992, and received its first Global Ambassador Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, as well as its Pinnacle Award in 2016.

Illustration: Norman Cooper

Comical customer characteristics

Cooper also had a side hustle as a talented artist, creating cartoons for ad agencies and even the U.S. Army. A frequent contributor to PMP, his first piece for the magazine was titled “Gallery of common pests encountered by servicemen” and showcased his humorous drawings illustrating the types of customers PMPs encountered day after day. More than 64 years later, his insights still ring true. Do you recognize any of these characters?