William Cook (entrepreneur)

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William Cook
Thumb
BornJanuary 27, 1931
DiedApril 15, 2011 (aged 80)
EducationNorthwestern University
Occupation(s)Business executive, philanthropist
SpouseGayle Cook
ChildrenCarl Cook

William Alfred Cook (January 27, 1931 – April 15, 2011), an American

philanthropist and historic preservationist, co-founded the medical equipment manufacturer Cook Group with his wife Gayle Cook in 1963. He resided in Bloomington, Indiana, and was one of America's wealthiest men.[1]

Biography

Cook was born in

Cook Group

Initially making medical devices, including guidewires for catheter angiography, Bill Cook and his wife Gayle started Cook Group in a spare bedroom in their Bloomington, Indiana apartment in 1963.

Charles Dotter, to grow Cook, Inc. into the world's largest family-owned medical device manufacturer.[7] Notable products included the Spectrum antibiotic-impregnated catheter (Rifamphin/Minocycline); the Gianturco-Roubin coronary stent, the first coronary stent approved for use in the USA; the first paclitaxel-coated drug-eluting stent, the Supra-G, tested in Asia; and the V-Flex, tested in Europe.[8]

Historic preservation

Cook and his wife Gayle took an interest in

French Lick Resort Casino project in Orange County, Indiana. In June 2007, Indiana Landmarks unveiled an award, to be called the "Cook Cup," for outstanding individual contributions to historic preservation in Indiana. Also in 2007 Bill, his wife Gayle and son Carl provided the funds to restore Beck's Mill at Salem, Indiana. In April, 2010, Indiana Landmarks announced a $7-million pledge from the Cooks to restore the former Central Avenue Methodist Church in Indianapolis as a performance venue and new state headquarters for Landmarks now known as the Indiana Landmarks Center. From early 2009 he worked to build up and preserve the downtown area of his hometown, Canton, Illinois, also building a factory and new hotel there, with plans to build a second factory.[5][10]

Star of Indiana and Blast!

In 1985, Bill Cook began a

Emmy Award for "Best Choreography."[13]

Indiana University

Although a graduate of Northwestern University, Bill Cook developed an attachment to Indiana University (IU), located in his adopted hometown of Bloomington. Cook and his wife, Gayle, were ardent supporters of IU's Jacobs School of Music and the school's renowned music library is named in their honor.[14] In 1996, the Cooks designated a $1 million gift to honor IU Foundation President Bill Armstrong and his wife, Martha Lea; this gift was used to fund the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators, which allows a group of Indiana public school teachers to advance their professional development by working with IU faculty and education students.[15] In 2010, IU's Kelley School of Business presented the Cooks with the William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award, which the school bestows upon "...Hoosiers who represent the very best in entrepreneurship."[16] The Cook Group donated $15 million to IU Athletics, which was primarily used for the enhancement of the basketball development center, named "Cook Hall" at its dedication in 2010.[17] Over the years and for many purposes, the Cooks donated more than $45 million to the university, which Bill Cook also served as a trustee from 1995-98.[18]

Wealth

Bill Cook was the richest man in the state of Indiana. In 2008, he was worth around $5 billion, according to the Forbes 400. In September 2010, Cook was ranked No. 101 on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans. His wealth was estimated at $3.1 billion.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Bill Cook, medical device magnate and philanthropist, dies at 80". Indianapolis Business Journal. 15 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Condolences: The Passing of Our Founder, William A. Cook". Cook. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  3. ^ "The World's Billionaires: #273 William Cook". Forbes. 8 March 2007.
  4. ^ Douglas Martin (25 April 2011). "Bill Cook, Medical Device Maker, Dies at 80". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b Hammel, Bob (2009). The Bill Cook Story: Ready, Fire, Aim!. Indiana University Press.
  6. ^ "The History of Cook".
  7. .
  8. ^ Cook Marketing Communications. "COOK® | History & Innovators". Cookgroup.com. Archived from the original on 2001-01-24. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  9. ^ "The Story". Fountain Square. Fountain Square - A CFC Property. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Billionaire Bill Cook leaves historic legacy". WTHR. 2012-07-05. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  11. ^ A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Vol. 2; Steve Vickers, ed.; Drum Corps World; 2003
  12. ^ "Private Tutor". Infoplease.com. 2001-06-03. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  13. ^ Primetime Emmy Awards (2001)
  14. ^ "The Jacobs School of Music remembers Bill Cook: IU News Room: Indiana University". Newsinfo.iu.edu. 2011-04-19. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  15. ^ "Eight outstanding Indiana teachers make up new Armstrong Teacher Educators: IU News Room: Indiana University". Newsinfo.iu.edu. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  16. ^ "Cook family to receive the IU Kelley School's William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award: IU News Room: Indiana University". Newsinfo.iu.edu. 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  17. ^ "Cook Hall Dedication". Broadcast.iu.edu. 2010-04-25. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  18. ^ "Bill Cook, medical device magnate and philanthropist, dies at 80 | 2011-04-15 | Indianapolis Business Journal". IBJ.com. 2011-04-15. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  19. ^ "#68 William Cook". Forbes 400. New York City. 2008-09-17. Retrieved 2008-12-14.

External links