William Jesse Cook

Dr. Cook was born in Calhoun County and raised in Piedmont, Alabama. He would meet his wife Judy and graduate from nearby Jacksonville State University before leaving Alabama to enter military service. He served in the Army as a Regular Army officer stationed in Fort Benning, Georgia prior to his assignment as a company commander in an air mobile division. Dr. Cook would receive an honorable discharge from the Army at the rank of 1st Lieutenant before returning to Alabama to pursue advanced degrees at Auburn University.

Dr. Cook served as a minister at Auburn Church of Christ while finishing his graduate and doctoral studies. He and his family would later move to Montgomery following Dr. Cook’s appointment as Assistant Vice President of Auburn University at Montgomery to help plan, build and pursue accreditation for the recently announced AUM campus.

He would go on to found his own company in Montgomery focused on strategic planning for school administrators. Dr. Cook and his associates for The Colonial Group, which would later be known as The Cambrian Group, have worked with more than 1,500 school systems since the company’s creation in 1977. Dr. Cook published more than a dozen books during that span, including a definitive work in the field titled: “Strategic Planning for America’s Schools”, which remains a graduate-level standard in curriculum for many schools throughout the country. In addition, his syndicated radio program titled “Bill Cook Comments” aired across 200 radio stations in the southeast during the 1970s. Dr. Cook continued to publish an updated format of his commentaries through 2021.

Dr. Cook was an enthusiastic supporter of Auburn University, an advocate of education, devoted husband and devout Christian. He published a number of books outside of education to focus on various topics of religion and theology. He served as an Elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church for nearly two decades where he continued to teach, study and grow through his Sunday classes.

Dr. Cook is survived by his daughters: Vonda Cook McLain (Tom), Jennifer Cook Pace (Jeff) of Wellington, Florida, and Jill Cook Bryan (Chris); five grandchildren—William Thomas McLain (Ashley), Samuel Wallace McLain, Ashley Hugh Pace, Wallace McGehee Bryan, and Christopher Hinton Bryan, Jr., and great-grandson, Thomas Edward McLain. He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Judy Wallace Cook, his parents, Genevieve Putnam and William Jesse Cook, Sr., and his brother Donald Cook.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, December 22 at 10:00 AM at Trinity Presbyterian Church, with a memorial service at 11:00 AM. A private graveside service will be held in Piedmont, Alabama.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to Trinity Presbyterian Church, 1728 South Hull Street, Montgomery, Alabama 36104 or Montgomery Christian School, 3265 McGehee Road, Montgomery, Alabama 36111.