Bill Text: VA SJR144 | 2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of John Randall Cook.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2014-02-28 - Bill text as passed Senate and House (SJ144ER) [SJR144 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2014-SJR144-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, John Randall Cook, a respected educator, counselor, and philanthropist who touched countless lives in the Commonwealth, died on December 24, 2013; and WHEREAS, a native of Crewe, John Cook joined many of the other young men of his generation in service to his country during World War II; and WHEREAS, as a member of the Army Medical Corps, John Cook served in Europe as part of the invasion of Normandy; in the landing on Omaha Beach, his gallant actions earned him the Croix de Guerre from the French government; and WHEREAS, after the war, John Cook earned bachelor's and master's degrees and later received an honorary doctorate degree from Longwood University; he was one of the university's first male graduates; and WHEREAS, in the 1950s, Dr. Cook was elected to the Crewe Town Council, where he worked to better the community for eight years; he was the youngest person ever to serve on the council; and WHEREAS, in 1960, after a 20-year career with Norfolk and Western Railway, Dr. Cook became a senior counselor at John Marshall High School in Richmond; and WHEREAS, joining the Virginia Department of Education in 1967, Dr. Cook served the Commonwealth ably as an assistant supervisor of guidance and later as supervisor of guidance until his retirement in 1982; and WHEREAS, Dr. Cook coauthored and submitted the first elementary guidance legislation in the United States Congress; he was a recognized leader in the field at the state and national levels, contributing to the betterment of children and communities through his advocacy; and WHEREAS, receiving many awards and accolades throughout his career, Dr. Cook was named Outstanding Counselor in Richmond, Outstanding Counselor in Virginia, and Outstanding Counselor in America, and he received the Wayne Medal from Virginia Commonwealth University; and WHEREAS, Dr. Cook was the founding member of the Virginia Counselors Association Foundation, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to helping counselors and the youths they serve in the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS, Dr. Cook and his partner, the late Dr. Waverly M. Cole, lived in Richmond for 50 years and devoted a lifetime of service to the community, which included the establishment of over 28 scholarships at three universities; the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences at Longwood University is named in their honor; and WHEREAS, Dr. Cook's and Dr. Cole's beneficence aided many human rights, arts, and cultural organizations, and they provided pivotal leadership and financial support to The Community Foundation for health initiatives; and WHEREAS, a champion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, Dr. Cook was a charter member of Equality Virginia, Lambda Legal, Human Rights Campaign, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and GLSEN, and he established the first fund to support young Virginians with AIDS; and WHEREAS, Dr. Cook will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his sister, Mae, and numerous other family members, friends, colleagues, and individuals whose lives he touched; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of an admired and highly regarded educator, counselor, and philanthropist, John Randall Cook; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Randall Cook as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory. |
