George W. F. Cook (May 20, 1919 – September 26, 2009) was a Vermont

attorney Attorney may refer to: * Lawyer ** Attorney at law, in some jurisdictions * Attorney, one who has power of attorney * ''The Attorney'', a 2013 South Korean film See also * Attorney general, the principal legal officer of (or advisor to) a gove ...

and politician who served as President of the

Vermont State Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

and United States Attorney for the District of Vermont.

Biography

George Wallace Foster Cook was born in

Shrewsbury, Vermont Shrewsbury is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for the Earl of Shrewsbury Earl of Shrewsbury () is a hereditary title of nobility created twice in the Peerage of England. The second earldom dates to 1442. Th ...

on May 20, 1919. Named for an uncle who died in World War I, he graduated from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all ...

in 1940 and became an aeronautical engineer at

Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military aviat ...

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. Cook joined the United States Army Air Forces for World War II and served as a navigator. After the war Cook enrolled at

Columbia University Law School Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestig ...

, where he received his

law degree A law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers. But while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not confer a license themselves. A legal license is gra ...

in 1948. From 1948 to 1955 he was an attorney for the United States Department of the Navy, and he earned a master's degree from Georgetown University Law School in 1952. In 1955 Cook relocated to Shrewsbury and became a partner in a

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

law firm. In 1958 he was elected to the Vermont State Senate, and he served five terms, 1959 to 1969. Cook served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 1963 to 1969 and President pro tem from 1965 to 1969. During his Senate service Cook was a leader in passing legislation that removed billboards from Vermont's roadsides. Cook was also a Delegate to the Republican National Conventions in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

and

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

. In 1969 Cook was appointed to succeed Joseph F. Radigan as United States Attorney for Vermont by President

Richard M. Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was t ...

, and he held the office until 1977. From 1978 to 1981 Cook served as a United States magistrate judge for the District of Vermont. In 1981 he was reappointed United States Attorney by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, and succeeded

William B. Gray William B. Gray (February 14, 1942 – March 22, 1994) was an American attorney and political figure from Vermont. He is best known for his service as United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, Distr ...

. He served until retiring in 1986. Cook died in Rutland on September 26, 2009 and was buried in Cuttingsville's Laurel Glen Cemetery.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cook, George W. F. 1919 births 2009 deaths People from Shrewsbury, Vermont United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Middlebury College alumni Columbia Law School alumni Georgetown University Law Center alumni Vermont lawyers Republican Party Vermont state senators Presidents pro tempore of the Vermont Senate United States Attorneys for the District of Vermont United States magistrate judges Burials in Vermont 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American judges Military personnel from Vermont 20th-century American lawyers