David Ohlmer "Doc" Cooke (August 31, 1920 – June 22, 2002) was a

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

civilian administrator who served under twelve Secretaries of Defense over a period of 45 years. Often called the "

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

the Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a meton ...

", Cooke was the department's highest-ranking career civil servant as Director of Administration and Management, and as Director of

Washington Headquarters Services Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) Field Activity, created on October 1, 1977, to provide administrative and management support to multiple DoD components and military departments in the National Capital Region ...

. He was also responsible for administering the oath of office for many key department officials.

Early life

Cooke was born in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

in 1920. He graduated from the

State University of New York at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

with a B.S. degree in 1941, and earned his M.S. degree from the

State University of New York at Albany The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

in 1942. He served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and later earned his law degree from

The George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , presid ...

in 1950. Cooke went back on active duty in 1951 and served in a number of posts until he retired as a Navy captain in 1968.

Government career

Cooke had a federal government career of more than 45 years in the Pentagon from 1957 to 2002. Notable positions he served in include Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Administration from 1971 to 1988, Director of the Washington Headquarters Services since 1977, and Director of Administration and Management in the Office of the Secretary of Defense since 1988. Cooke was involved with Defense Department management issues since 1958, when he served on Defense Secretary

Neil McElroy Neil Hosler McElroy (October 30, 1904 – November 30, 1972) was United States Secretary of Defense from 1957 to 1959 under President Eisenhower. He had been president of Procter & Gamble. Early life and education Born in Berea, Ohio, to school- ...

's task force on Department of Defense reorganization. He served under Defense Secretary

Robert McNamara Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the ...

and helped institute changes in departmental management. Following his Navy retirement, Cooke headed the Department's Office of Organizational and Management Planning, a job that evolved into his final post. In this position, Cooke was responsible for the

physical plant Physical plant, mechanical plant or industrial plant (and where context is given, often just plant) refers to the necessary infrastructure used in operation and maintenance of a given facility. The operation of these facilities, or the department ...

and personnel administration of the Pentagon. His responsibilities for security, maintenance, and operations in the building earned him the title "Mayor" - the phrase "Mayor of the Pentagon" had often been used to refer to him during his tenure, a nickname that continued to be used for those who held the position after him, including Raymond F. DuBois.

Death and legacy

On June 22, 2002, Cooke died from injuries that were a result of a car accident on June 6. He is buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, overlooking the Pentagon. His wife of 52 years, Marion McDonald Cooke, died in 1999. The couple had raised three children, Michele C. Sutton of Springfield, David Cooke and Lot Cooke, both of Fairfax. He also had two grandchildren at the time of his death. Elizabeth M. Cooke, who was born in 2000, and David B. Cooke who was born in 2002 a week before Cooke's death (both children from David O. Cooke Jr.). ANCExplorer David O

In 2005, the "David O. Cooke Excellence in Public Administration Award" was established in Cooke's honor to recognize a DoD employee with three to 10 years of federal service who occupies a non-managerial position and exhibits great potential as a future federal executive.

Recognitions

Cooke received numerous awards for his work. He received the

Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award The Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award is the highest Awards and decorations of the United States government, civilian award given by the United States Department of Defense. This award and accompanying Distinguished Civilia ...

seven times. He also received the

Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service The Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service is the second highest award presented by the Secretary of Defense to non-career Federal employees, private citizens, and foreign nationals for contributions, assistance, or support to D ...

and the

Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service The Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service is the highest award that is presented by the Secretary of Defense, to a private citizen, politician, non-career federal employee, or foreign national. It is presented for exceptiona ...

two times. Both medals are rarely awarded to career civil servants. Other awards included the NAACP Benjamin L. Hooks Distinguished Service Award (1994); the Government Executive Leadership Award (1995); the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award (1995); the National Public Service Award (1997); the

President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 27 June 1957 by , the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service was created to allow the President to recognize civilian officers or employees of the federal government who have ...

(1998); the John O. Marsh Public Service Award (2000); the Senior Executives Association Board of Directors Award (2001); and the

American Society for Public Administration American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) is a membership association of almost 10,000 professionals in the United States sponsoring conferences and providing professional services primarily to those who study the implementation of gover ...

Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Service (2002).David O. Cooke, 'Mayor of the Pentagon' Dies
. ''DefenseLINK News'', United States Department of Defense. June 25, 2002. (''public domain'')

References

External links

Presentation of the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service to David O. "Doc" Cooke
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen, The Pentagon Auditorium, Thursday, January 21, 1999
Memorial Tribute For DAVID O. "DOC" COOKE
Washington Headquarters Services. July 12, 2002. (''public domain'')
DoD Recognizes Exceptional Civilian Employees
Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. November 16, 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, David O. 1920 births 2002 deaths Lawyers from Buffalo, New York University at Buffalo alumni University at Albany, SUNY alumni United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II George Washington University Law School alumni 20th-century American lawyers American civil servants United States Department of Defense officials Recipients of the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Burials at Arlington National Cemetery