Gayle Cook
Gayle Cook | |
|---|---|
| Born | Gayle Karch March 1, 1934 Evansville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | August 17, 2025 (aged 91) |
| Alma mater | Indiana University Bloomington |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | |
| Children | Carl |
Gayle Cook (née Karch, March 1, 1934 – August 17, 2025) was an American businesswoman who in 1963 co-founded the Cook Group, a medical equipment manufacturing company, with her husband William Cook.[1][2] In 2014, her net worth was estimated at US$5.8 billion.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Gayle Karch[4] was born on March 1, 1934, in Evansville, Indiana, the daughter of Arthur and Thelma Karch.[5] She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Indiana University Bloomington in 1956 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts.[6]
Career
[edit]In 1963, she and her husband William Cook co-founded the Cook Group, a medical equipment manufacturer.[7][8] As of 2013[update], she still served on the company's board of directors.[2]
According to Forbes, she had a net worth of $5.8 billion in 2014,[7] up from $5.2 billion in 2013, placing her at #85 on the Forbes 400 for the year.[2]
Philanthropy
[edit]Cook made charitable contributions to her alma mater, Indiana University, and was on the board of the Indiana University Foundation.[6] She received the Gertrude Rich Award in 1983 and an honorary doctorate in 1993, both from Indiana University.[6]
She and her husband funded the restoration of many historic buildings, mainly in southern Indiana, including 40 that appear on the National Register of Historic Places.[4] She was a co-founder of the Monroe County Historical Society Museum, a member of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, and a landmark member of The Nature Conservancy.[6]
Personal life and death
[edit]Gayle Cook was married to William Cook from 1957 until his death in 2011.[9] Their son, Carl Cook, succeeded William as CEO upon the latter's death.[10] She also has a granddaughter.[4] She co-authored two books on local landmarks, A Guide to Southern Indiana (1972, with William Cook) and Monroe County in Focus (1990, with Diana Hawes and Will Counts).[6]
In March 1989, Cook was kidnapped and held for ransom by a failing investment broker named Arthur Curry. He was apprehended 26 hours later.[11]
Cook died on August 17, 2025, at the age of 91.[12]
Bibliography
[edit]- A Guide to Southern Indiana (with William Cook, Owen Litho Service, 1972).
- Monroe County in Focus: Portrait of an Indiana County (with Diana Hawes and Will Counts, Discovery Press, 1990).
References
[edit]- ↑ McLaughlin, Kathleen (September 22, 2011). Gayle Cook tops list of richest Hoosiers. Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
- 1 2 3 "240 Gayle Cook" (paper). The Forbes 400. Forbes: 161. October 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Forbes profile: Gayle Cook". Forbes. March 3, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- 1 2 3 Martin, Douglas (April 25, 2021). "Bill Cook, Medical Device Maker, Dies at 80". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- ↑ The Bill Cook Story: Ready, Fire, Aim!. Indiana University Press. 2008. ISBN 9780253352545.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Honoree: Search Awards: University Honors & Awards: Indiana University". Indiana University Honors and Awards. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- 1 2 "Gayle Cook". Forbes. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
- ↑ Preservationist Gayle Cook to discuss 'The Mystique of Domes'. Indiana State University Newsroom. October 17, 2011. Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
- ↑ Velasco, Schuyler (March 5, 2013). Forbes billionaires list: Meet the nine richest self-made women. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
- ↑ Zaltsberg, Bob (August 6, 2016). "Carl Cook inherited his father's company — and his vision". The Herald-Times. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
- ↑ "Much unknown about new Cook Group CEO". Indianapolis Business Journal. April 20, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Cook Group Cofounder and Preservationist Gayle Cook Dies at 91". The Bloomingtonian. August 17, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1934 births
- 2025 deaths
- People from Bloomington, Indiana
- Indiana University Bloomington alumni
- American billionaires
- American company founders
- American businesspeople in manufacturing
- American women company founders
- American businesspeople in the health care industry
- Manufacturing company founders
- American female billionaires