Samuel Henry Cook: Acting President 1951-1953
When President James Armour Lindsay notified the trustees that he planned to pursue further study in developing programs for rural leaders in 1951, the board appointed Dr. Samuel Henry Cook as acting president.
Cook, who came to Berry in 1910, served the institution in a number of roles, including athletic director, acting principal and dean of the Berry schools and college. During his years as acting president, he continued to serve as dean. A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Cook attended Davidson College in North Carolina, where he received his A.B., A.M. and Ph.D. degrees. As acting president, he guided the Berry schools through the Korean Conflict. He resigned at the end of the 1952-53 academic year and returned, full-time, to his role as dean. He also served as a treasurer, deacon, and founding member of Mount Berry Church.
After retiring from Berry in 1957, Cook continued to live on the Berry campus, serving as an advisor to the president. Referred to as the “Mr. Chips” of Berry by John A. Sibley, then chairman of the Board of Trustees, he was a Berry institution. He died in August 1975.