The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-07-09
REV. IL. COOK, D. D.
The Death of This Worthy and Useful
Coiored Man Loss to the Commun.

COi0red Man a Loss to the Commun-
ity.
Rev. J. l.. Cook, D. d., president oil
the Henderson Normal and Indus
trial Institute, (colored) died at $50
O'Clock Monday morning. He had
been sick about four months. lung
trouble and Bright's disease being
the Immediate cause of death. Al
though he had been a resident here
only about three years, during that
time he had impressed himself as a
man OF character and culture, whose
influence was for good among his
people. He was a good man and
useful citizen and his death is loss
to the community.
The funeral was held from the
teachers home at IL O'Clock Tues
day morning, Rev. J. c. Shaw, of Ok
ford, conducting the service. The
body was shipped to Athens, Tenn,
his former home, for burial.
Rev. j. L. Cook was born at Ath-
ems, Tenn, of slave parents, shortly
after the emancipation proclamation
OF President Lincoln was issued. His
father died when he was about one
year old and at the age of six he was
left an orphan by the death of his
mother. He found a home for two
years with "a kindly old colored man
and then he was taken and cared for
by an aged couple who had no chill
dren of their own. This man had
bought his own freedom and made
the last payment on himself after
the emancipation proclamation was
made But he considered it an hon
est obligation and Insisted on dis
charging the debt in full
1t was well for the boy that his
early training fell to the lot of this
honest, cody old colored man and
his equally worthy and pious wife.
From them he received the incent-
i've to right living and right think
ing, and the inspiration to a higher
life and nobler effort-the building OF
character and the laying of the foun-
dation for the work of his after life
among his people as teacher and
preacher. He got something of a
start i'll the public schools of Athens,
and then went to Fisk University, at
Nashville, for four years, paying his
own way by teaching. Then he at
tended Knoxville College, where he
graduated in 1888, taking the regu-
lar A. B. course. Having identified
himself with the United Presbyterian
church in the mean time, that de-
nomination having in charge the
Knoxville College, after his gradua-
ton he went the Allegheny Theolog-
ical Seminary, of Allegheny, Pa,
graduating from there in 1891.
Returning to Athens he taught
school and preached among his peo-
pie until he came to Henderson three
years ago. Writing about his work
there a local paper, The Athenian,
said this of him:
''Out of all this has grown one OF the
best colored schools in this entire section
of the South, known as The Academy of
Athens With it has been built a church,
one of the best in Athens, and how much
good to his race has come from the edu-
cation and Christian culture of this one
orphan cOlored boy, the great Master
alone can tell. That Rev. J. l..
Cook is appreciated by our people there
is no question. and that his services are
recognized by his church there is every
evidence"
In 1898 he was a delegate to
the Presbyterian General Assembly
(Northern) at Omaha, Nebraska. He
was the only representative of his
race present, in speaking of which
fact he said for this reason he was
able to give color to the occasion.
That he captured the Assembly APP.
peared evident from what was said
OF him by some of the church papers
at the time. In giving an account
of the proceedings the Christian In
terror, of Philadelphia, said:
1T is no disparagement to other ad
dresses delivered before the Assembly to
say that the brightest and most popular
one was that made the colored delegate
from Athens, Tenn, the Rev. ]. L. Cook. ,
The United Presbyterian, published
at Pittsburg, Pa, said this:
''As an object lesson and practical il
lustratiOn of the work among the freed
men, Rev. j. l.. Cook, commissioner from
the Presbytery of Tennessee, was intro
duced. There is no doubt as to the race
to which Rev. Cook belongs, nor is there
any doubt as to his qualifications for the
| ministry His address was so interest
| ing, and exhibited such marked force O
character, that the Assembly extended
| the time half an hour. He discussed The
negro problem and said the solution
was not in political measures, but in the
| Christian education of the colored PEG
ple.'