Memories of President Emeritus Clyde Cook
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I want to express my heartfelt sadness and offer my condolences on the passing of Dr. Cook. I served the Biola Community and Dr. Cook, personally for nine years, as Executive Chef with Bon Appetit.
Every meal I presented to Dr Cook, whether it was an intimate lunch for four or a gala celebration for 500, it was accepted by him with the same grace and generosity of spirit. His kindness and sincere interest preceded every meal. I was always asked to comment on the food presentation. I felt appreciated and that what I was doing was important. I will remember Dr Cook as a man of good humor, charm and simple elegance. When I think back to my nine years at Biola, I will think of Dr. Cook and his lovely partner in life, Anna Belle, and the fact that he made my years of service to Biola a true pleasure and a blessing. Thank you. -
Dr. Cook began his tenure at Biola the same year I began as a freshman at Biola. During my on campus days as an undergraduate at Biola, later as a graduate student at Talbot's School of Theology and over the years as an alumnus, I have watched God bless Biola University greatly under Dr. Cook's godly, faithful and humble leadership.
Whether it was when I was on campus as a student, at a Biola basketball game or in between services at church when I ran into Dr. Cook, he was always gracious (and usually humorous) in his interactions with me. Even though I knew he was extremely busy, he never showed this when talking with me. It was a great honor to know Dr. Cook and to reap the rewards of his service to the Lord at Biola.
May God's comfort be real to his dear family during these difficult days.
I will miss him greatly. -
I didn't know Clyde Cook, so I can't testify to his person. However, what little I did know of him I learned at his 50th wedding anniversary dinner at Biola last year.
I was a server/caterer for their special celebration and helped with the set up, serving and take down. I do not know the family and I didn't know anyone there but obviously it takes something special to make it to one's 50th wedding anniversary. One thing I have learned over the years is that marriage is not always an easy thing and to survive over the years is one of the great testaments to a person's character. What I saw that day were two people still in love more than 50 years later. If nothing else, that speaks to the strength and character and dedication put into their life long romance.
That day I took pictures of their whole family all together for them so that no one would be missing from the picture. That was their testament, that whole family standing there, happy and smiling. More than 50 years together was standing there, generation to generation, a loving family blessed by the love of those two. Not many make it that far and in today's society it is even harder to remain faithful.
I hope that when I marry that it is for life and I one day will look back on 50 years of love. If I could be so lucky! If we could all be so lucky in love! So celebrate his life and his life long love...I am thankful I got to see who he was that day on his 50th anniversary. -
I was so looking forward to my next visit with Dr. Cook, to catch up on family, friends, Biola, and to laugh of course. Living in Texas and Michigan the opportunities have been infrequent to meet through the years.
In 1971 I met âClydeâ and Annabel & kids for the first time in the Philippines. He was there with theological education by extension and I was doing basketball evangelism with Sports Ambassadors for the year. Basketball was a common interest. He also asked me to take a picture of his mustache! He wanted to document the achievement. He encouraged me to consider attending Biola. I was from the Midwest and had no knowledge of Biola but those few months together helped tip the scale to attend.
Since that time Iâve admired his leadership on behalf of Biola and the qualities of conviction, vision, action, and his personable way. Lord willing those of us who knew him will continue to follow his lead. -
I spent last Saturday working on our new church. Here in our little town of 8,000 on the southern hip of the Olympic Peninsula, this is a somewhat daunting endeavor. Our current facility is over 100 years old - beating Biola by four years - but it's showing its age (aren't we all?). After more than a decade of praying, fund-raising, planning and seeking, God provided 15 acres of choice waterfront real estate in an area of town that has never had a Christian witness. Never.
As we prepared to break ground last spring, our congregation of about 250 ("large" by boondocks standards :) decided to build not just a physical edifice or meeting place, but to incorporate a "ministry center" paradigm into our efforts. We met with city council members and other local representatives to see how we might be able to serve our community with our new facility. Accordingly, besides the church itself, we're also putting in two baseball diamonds, a soccer field, playground, and river walking trail - all to be shared with and open to our community. We hope to occupy our new building sometime next fall and impact the community for Christ far beyond our own four walls.
I wore my "drop-dead red" Biola sweatshirt last Saturday as I helped pound nails into beams in our framed-in sanctuary. I was literally helping to build a church on the day Dr. Cook was ushered into glory. Somehow that seems a fitting tribute to not only Dr. Cook but to my Biola education as well.
One thing I clearly recall about Dr. Cook himself is that he never gave the impression that he was too busy or inaccessible. His heart and his door were always open to faculty, students, staff and alumni. Dr. Cook had a knack for making one feel that when you were with him, spoke with him, there was no one more important to him in the entire world at that moment than you. I also remember Dr. Cook's keen sense of humor and his annual presentation of Clyde's Slides. Remember those?
We'll miss Dr. Cook and can barely imagine Biola without his twinkling blue eyes and ready smile. But we rejoice that he is now in the presence of the Lord he loved so well and served so faithfully for so long. He finished well. -
This morning in my devotions I was reading about the "Great Men of Faith"- you know God's Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. The part that stuck with me was how God was building these great men of faith a city in Heaven. Can you imagine what that would look like? WOW!!! When I received the email today about the passing of Dr. Cook, I thought back of my devotions and how these great men of faith were still living by faith when they died. How appropriate---what a man of faith Dr. Cook was! And here his legacy is still living on by his <a href="https://connect.biola.edu/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=410">Memorial Fund</a> to complete Talbot and help equip men and women for spreading the Word of God to all the world!
I remember my first year at Biola (many of the current students weren't even born then) and we had a chance to "Meet the President" in his office. Of course, I was nervous meeting the college president but right away I found out how much he loves his students. He asked me my name and where I was from. For the next 3 1/2 yrs up to and including my graduation, he would always say "Hello Marlene" and remember that I was from New Jersey. Can you imagine a president of a university that KNOWS students by name? Yes, I consider myself highly blessed to have known him and to have had the chance to learn from his example during my years at Biola. -
I was saddened tonight to learn of Dr. Cook's death. I considered him a true friend and ally.
I became friends with Clyde while I was Chimes editor and he was head of the Intercultural Studies Dept. I had been in rather constant trouble with many in the Biola administration due to my tendency to speak my mind in print, and sometimes in ways that others apparently considered less than sensitive. I think I spent more time in the offices of the deans (Dr. Morris and Dr. Young) than I did in my own dorm room. I'm sure they were praying for my salvation! I even recall a rather terse meeting with Dr. Chase that included what I discerned to be thinly veiled threats of expulsion.
But in the midst of these trials Dr. Cook went to bat for me and provided timely encouragement. He had an uncanny ability to see beyond my present troubles and put things into a longer-term perspective. I think as a result of his encouragement I was able to temper my less desirable tendencies and keep from going off the deep end.
After I survived (and graduated from) Biola, and Dr. Cook became president, he invited me up to his office for lunch while I was visiting campus one day. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and sharing great memories. It was just so strange for me to be in the president's office and not be in hot water!
I know that God doesn't take anyone untimely, but it is difficult indeed for me to feel that Dr. Cook's departure isn't a great loss for those of us left behind. I am trying very hard to exercise some of Clyde's long-term perspective right now. I am truly thankful that he is walking with Jesus as we speak ... I just wish he could beam a few "Clyde's Slides" this way to let us know he's having a great time, and to provide a little comfort in our loss. -
The Dr. Cook memories are so many for me, mostly because up until this year, his was a familiar presence all over campus. It seems like wherever students were, you could count on Dr. Cook to make an appearance, whether it was Mock Rock or the Biola/Azusa basketball game.
I remember when we filmed the AS staff video last year and Dr. Cook managed to ad-lib his own content into every scene (much of which made it into the final video.) Between takes, he would chat with me about the film program and how difficult it is to be a film major in our world today. He even offered his own unique perspective on what shots should make it into the final edit of our video.
That conversation is representative of the several other conversations I've had with him and that I've seen him have with other students - Clyde Cook cared about the students of Biola. In every conversation, he would try to listen to you, to encourage you, and to understand you as a person. I'm sure that he would much rather have shared an anecdote from his missionary days or perhaps talked about one of his many goals for Biola's future, but the fact that he purposely tried to talk to me about my interests meant a lot. I have never seen anyone in the leadership position that Dr. Cook possessed be so incredibly accessible.
This memory is combined with another memory that I'm sure is shared by many students - Dr. Cook's frequent visits to the Caf. If it's possible for a man who towered over most people physically to walk gracefully and humbly, Clyde Cook had mastered it. If there's one image I will always remember, it's a man whose list of accomplishments could fill books (and probably has) sitting at a crooked Caf table and eating with plastic silverware on one of the days that the Caf decided to give its dishwashers a day off.
It's a simple tribute, but I guess the greatest thing about Dr. Cook for me was his simple passion for reaching every student he came in contact with. -
Nomadic Kingdom Workers pray for their children as they go off to college. Two of those children choose Biola. So between 1997 and 2006 there was always a barefoot unicyclist on campus --either Dan or Joe. Another child of nomads happened to be president of the university. He had an empathy for those two and for all transplanted pilgrims. Who is not uprooted when studying? Who does not welcome that personal smile and handshake from the president?
Thanks, Anna Belle, for being right there with your husband taking the MKâs out to dinner each year. Thanks for befriending Dan and Joe Peckham. We were so encouraged by news from Dan that he was out at Newport watching the Parade of Lights with you and Frank and Madelleine Visca. And you probably knew that your husband schemed to have Joe ride away from the podium on his unicycle at his graduation in 2006. May God bless you with many more chances to be a channel and recipient of love. -
The first time I met Dr. Cook I didn't know who he was. I was sitting by myself in the Cafeteria eating an early lunch before class when he came up to me and ask if he could sit and eat lunch with me. He introduced himself as Clyde and soon he was asking me questions about my classes, where I was from and my family. It wasn't until after I had left for class that someone told me that I had eaten lunch with President Cook. Even though I left Biola the following year I always remembered how interested he was in the students and what he could do to make Biola a better place.
A year later I was sitting eating lunch in the Cafeteria at Seattle Pacific University and in walked Dr. Cook with Dr. Eaton (President of SPU). Somehow he recognized me and come over to ask how I was doing. He was sorry that I had left Biola, but was also happy for me that I had found a Christian university that made me happy. He even went on to tease Dr. Eaton that he shouldn't be stealing students away from Biola.
I will always remember Dr. Cook as a man of integrity who lead with a great example of compassion whose life engaged the culture and changed the world.