George Hammell Cook


George Hammell Cook was the state geologist of New Jersey and vice president of Rutgers College. His geological survey of New Jersey became the predecessor for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Biography

He was born in Hanover Township, New Jersey on January 5, 1818 to John Cook and Sarah Munn. He married Mary Halsey Thomas on March 23, 1846. He served as the principal of The Albany Academy in Albany, New York from 1850 to 1852.
He came to Rutgers in 1853 and was appointed professor of chemistry. His teaching duties also included mathematics and theology. Among his first research projects was the chemical analysis of marl. This research led him to determine better places to mine marl, which led to his appointment as the assistant state geologist. He published a geological survey of New Jersey to replace the one made in 1840.
In 1864 he was appointed as the state geologist of New Jersey.
He had become a vice president of Rutgers College and was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He died on September 22, 1889 in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Legacy

at Rutgers University was named after him, as is the George Hammell Cook Distinguished Alumni Award.

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