John Coppin

John Coppin was born in Ontario but later settled in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He studied at Stratford Collegiate Institute and the John Wicker School of Art in Detroit, where he later worked. Coppin served as Director of “AAA Motor News,” becoming well-known for designing the publication’s covers. As a portraitist, his subjects included Henry Ford, General Motors President James M. Roche, and four Michigan governors, among other well-known individuals. Coppin also painted murals, including “Man and Transportation” in the Detroit Public Library. In 1955, Coppin completed a set of six paintings for the Michigan State College (MSU) centennial celebration, which were later distributed as sets of limited edition prints. Coppin’s contributions to the Capitol’s portrait collection include paintings of governors Harry Kelly, Kim Sigler, Murray Van Wagoner, and G. Mennen Williams.

Image courtesy of the Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library.