Guide to the Orator F. Cook Papers 1889-1898


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Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Descriptive Summary
• Information on Use
• Access
• Digital Images
• Citation
• Biographical Note
• Scope Note
• Related Resources
• Subject Headings
• INVENTORY
• Series I: General Correspondence
• Series II: Personal Correspondence
• Series III: Liberian Documents
• Series IV: Photographs
• Series V: Biographical Materials
• Series VI: Oversize Materials

Acknowledgments

Descriptive Summary

Information on Use

Access

The collection is open for research.

Digital Images

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Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Cook, Orator F. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Biographical Note

Orator F. Cook was an American botanist who specialized in cotton and rubber plants, as well as in the classification of palms. Born in 1867 in Clyde, New York, Cook graduated from Syracuse University in 1890, where he stayed on as an instructor for one year. He traveled extensively in many parts of the world collecting botanical specimens, and from 1891 to 1898 he was employed as a special agent of the New York State Colonization Society. He spent much of his time in Liberia, and in 1896, Cook was elected president of Liberia College, a position, which he held until 1898. From 1898 he served as a plant scientist with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, where he became Principal Botanist. He published almost four hundred books and articles during his life, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science by Syracuse University in 1930.

Scope Note

The collection has been divided into six series. Series I, General Correspondence includes exchanges related to Cook's work in Liberia and with his scientific colleagues. Series II, Personal Correspondence, primarily contains letters between Cook and Alice Carter, who he married in 1892. Series III contains documents related to Liberia, as does Series VI (oversize materials.) Series IV includes photographs of Liberia and the Canary Islands. Series V is a biographical calendar of Cook's life, prepared by his daughter Helen Newman.

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Subject Headings

• Cook, O. F. (Orator Fuller). 1867-1949
• Canary Islands
• Liberia
• Botanists
• Photographs.

INVENTORY

These letters are organized alphabetically, and include correspondence from J. Braman of the Trustees of Donations for Education in Liberia, Charles Geyer of the New York Colonization Society, and Reverend George Goll of the Board of Foreign Missions, as well as letters from colleagues who participated in his survey of Mount Coffee, Liberia, such as botanists Guy Collins and Fred Straub. There is extensive correspondence with Lucien M. Underwood, Cook's teacher at Syracuse University.

This series primarily consists of correspondence between Orator Cook and Alice Carter, who he married in 1892. These letters highlight their private interests and concerns, but also contain information pertaining to Cook's whereabouts during his travels and his general plans. Miscellaneous letters from other family members also appear in this series, as well as some of Alice's letters to friends at Mount Holyoke College where she taught botany.

These documents include articles and clippings on Liberia, information on Liberian folklore, articles on botany, and miscellaneous business material.

These are black and white photographs of the people and landscape of Liberia and the Canary Islands, 1890s-1900s, in various formats. Some of the photographs are identified on the verso.

These documents are a general biographical calendar. This calendar description of Cook's life spans 1891-1897. It was prepared by his daughter, Helen Newman.

This series primarily holds newspapers and other printed material from Liberia.