IV 
107TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 571
Honoring the life of David O. ‘‘Doc’’ Cooke, the ‘‘Mayor of the Pentagon’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 3, 2002
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Government Reform 
RESOLUTION 
Honoring the life of David O. ‘‘Doc’’ Cooke, the ‘‘Mayor 
of the Pentagon’’.
Whereas for 44 years, David O. ‘‘Doc’’ Cooke’s tireless dedi-
cation, skill, and involvement in Department of Defense 
management issues earned him the respect of his col-
leagues and distinction as a Pentagon institution; 
Whereas as the quintessential civil servant, Doc Cooke rose 
to become the highest ranking career civil servant within 
the Department of Defense; 
Whereas in his jobs as the Director of Administration and 
Management for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 
and Director of Washington Headquarters Services, Doc 
Cooke was responsible for maintenance, operation, and 
security of buildings of the Department of Defense in the
•HRES 571 IH 
Washington, D.C. area, including the Pentagon Reserva-
tion; 
Whereas because of his propensity to make things happen, 
Doc Cooke was respectfully known as the ‘‘Mayor of the 
Pentagon’’; 
Whereas Doc Cooke was born in 1920 in Buffalo, New York, 
and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in education 
from the State Teachers College at Buffalo in 1941, a 
master’s degree in political science from the New York 
State College for Teachers in 1942, and a law degree in 
1950 from George Washington University, where he was 
a member of the Law Review; 
Whereas Doc Cooke served in the Navy during World War 
II as an officer on the USS Pennsylvania; returned to ac-
tive duty during the Korean war, during which time he 
served as an instructor in the School of Naval Justice; 
and retired in 1968 as a Navy captain; 
Whereas Doc Cooke served on Defense Secretary Neil 
McElroy’s task force on Department of Defense reorga-
nization in 1958; worked for Defense Secretary Robert 
McNamara, as Director of the Office of Organizational 
and Management Planning, implementing changes in De-
partment of Defense organization; and worked for every 
other Secretary of Defense since then; 
Whereas during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Doc Cooke 
was a strong advocate for renovation of the Pentagon; 
Whereas many of the construction specifications supported by 
Doc Cooke helped to save lives during the terrorist attack 
on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001;
•HRES 571 IH 
Whereas Doc Cooke could be seen assisting in the response 
to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 
2001; 
Whereas throughout the Department of Defense, Doc Cooke 
was noted for his strong support of equal employment op-
portunity for minorities, women, and individuals with dis-
abilities; 
Whereas Doc Cooke was instrumental in establishing a Public 
Service Academy at Anacostia High School in the Dis-
trict of Columbia, which has helped to increase the grad-
uation rate of students; 
Whereas Doc Cooke served as a member of the seven-member 
Governance Committee of United Way of the National 
Capital Area’s September 11 Fund, deciding how to dis-
tribute disaster relief funds collected after September 11; 
Whereas Doc Cooke has been recognized for his extraordinary 
performance through numerous awards, including the De-
partment of Defense Medal for Distinguished Civilian 
Service (the Department’s highest department career 
award) seven times; the Department of Defense Medal 
for Outstanding Public Service; the Department of De-
fense Medal for Distinguished Public Service twice; the 
Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership from 
American University (1983); the NAACP Benjamin L. 
Hooks Distinguished Service Award (1994); the Presi-
dential Meritorious Rank Award (1994); the Government 
Executive Leadership Award (1995); a Presidential Dis-
tinguished Rank Award (1995); a National Public Serv-
ice Award (1997); the President’s Award for Distin-
guished Federal Civilian Service (1998), the highest Gov-
ernment service award; the John O. Marsh Public Service 
Award (2000); the Senior Executives Association Board
•HRES 571 IH 
of Directors Award (2001); the Nelson A. Rockefeller 
College of Public Affairs and Policy Distinguished Alum-
nus Award (2001); an award from the University at Al-
bany Alumni Association for ‘‘Recognition for Out-
standing Service’’ (2001); and the American Society of 
Public Administration Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award for Distinguished Service (2002); and 
Whereas on June 22, 2002, Doc Cooke died as the result of 
injuries sustained in an automobile accident, after a long 
and distinguished career in government, in which he be-
came the model for civil servants: Now, therefore, be it:
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes David O. ‘‘Doc’’ Cooke’s leg-
endary professionalism as a model civil servant; 
(2) honors Doc Cooke’s life; and 
(3) extends its condolences to the Cooke family 
and the Department of Defense community on the 
death of an extraordinary human being.
Æ