Cook, Barbara I. (Barbara Ivy), 1929-2013
Dates
- Existence: December 8, 1929 - April 10, 2013
Biographical Information
Born in 1929, Barbara Cook came to Purdue in 1956 as a counselor in the Office of the Dean of Women. She received her BA in Sociology from the University of Arkansas in 1951, a M.A. in Student Personnel Administration from Syracuse University in 1954, a Ph.D. in Counseling and Personnel Services from Purdue University in 1967 as well as an honorary doctorate from Purdue University in 1996.
One of her early responsibilities as councilor in the Dean’s office involved serving as an advisor to Mortar Board, a senior-student honor society over which she presided for nearly thirty years. Cook also served as director of the Placement Service for Women, assistant and associate Dean of Women, associate Dean of Students, and, from 1980 to 1987, Dean of Students. She was a lecturer in the School of Education starting in 1970, and a professor of education from 1987 to 1989.
Nationally recognized for her efforts in promoting career opportunities for women, Cook served in several positions within the National Association of Women Deans, Administrators, and Councilors (NAWDAC) including serving as President from 1975–1976. She is also the recipient of numerous awards for her work, including the Helen B. Schleman Gold Medallion for Distinguished Contributions to Purdue University, the Dean Beverley Stone Award for Personal Counseling Contributions, and the Distinguished Lifetime Mortar Board Member Award.
Following her retirement in 1989, Barbara Cook was an active member of the Lafayette community and involved with many organizations, including the Salvation Army, Greater Lafayette YWCA, West Lafayette Redevelopment Commission, and the Indiana Governor's Commission for Women. In 2004, a sculpture entitled "When Dreams Dance" was dedicated to Cook and her late colleague and friend, Beverley Stone. It is located in between Schleman and Hovde Halls. Today, the current chapter of the Purdue Mortar Board is named in Cook's honor, who advised the group from 1956 to 1986.
Citation:
Barbara Cook Interview, April 4, 2006. MSO 1, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program collection, Purdue University Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries.Citation:
Klink, Angie. The Deans' Bible: Five Purdue Women and Their Quest for Equality. Founders Series. Purdue University Press, 2014.Found in 13 Collections and/or Records:
Betty Nelson papers, addition 06
Betty Nelson papers, addition 07
Carole Sue Richardson-Macklin papers
Barbara Cook papers
The Barbara Cook papers predominantly document Barbara Cook's career in the Dean of Women and Dean of Students office and as professor of education at Purdue University (1956 - 1989), including her leadership roles in Mortar Board and NAWDAC -- National Association of Women Deans, Administrators, and Counselors. Types of material include correspondence, speeches, teaching material, articles and essays, and biographical information.
Dean of Students records
Annual Reports, Date File Correspondence, and other documents created by the Office of the Dean of Students.
Marylu McEwen papers
Mortar Board records
The collection contains correspondence, photographs, certificates, pamphlets, and scrapbooks, that document the history and activities of the Mortar Board honor society at Purdue University.
Purdue University News Service records, addition 04
Carol Pyle collection of Dean of Women and Dean of Students Memorabilia
Correspondence and clippings documenting Carol Pyle’s relationship with Dorothy Stratton, Helen Schleman, Beverley Stone, and Barbara Cook.
Collection on Helen B. Schleman
This collection includes a collection of papers and artifacts that were collected during Helen Schleman's life and posthumously by individuals who were close to her, such as Dorothy Stratton and Betty Nelson. Some items were donated after they were removed from an exhibit on Schleman that was previously installed in Schleman Hall.
Helen B. Schleman papers
The Helen Schleman papers contain papers, clippings, speeches, and photographs documenting Helen Schleman’s life. The collection has particular emphases on her role as Purdue's Dean of Women and as an adovcate for women's rights.
Significant People, 1950 - 1989
Series 4 contains records pertaining to individuals who were important to Helen Schleman. These files contain clippings, manuscripts, correspondence, and epehemera that Schleman collected and that document the lives and careers of several important women in her life.
Beverley Stone papers
Collection includes biographical documents, correspondence, speech notes and other materials documenting the life of Purdue’s first Dean of Students, Beverley Stone.