Phillip Cook, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
College of Liberal Arts
Collection Number: M 555
Biography
The Phillip Cook collection (1803-2004; 5 linear ft.) contains five boxes with a total of 50 folders. The materials included are maps, booklets, papers, CDs, publications, and a photograph. The collection is divided into several series: Research Files, Huey Long Materials, Publications, and Historic Markers. The subjects that are covered within this collection include northern Louisiana history, Huey Long-era politics, southeastern United States American Indian history, and World War II. This collection contains information that will be useful to someone who is interested in the history of Louisiana politics, American Indian history in Louisiana, and the histories of various northern Louisiana towns.
Dr. Cook's curated library
Agan, J. 2010. Echoes of Our Past: The Civil War Years in Minden. Self-published. LaVergne, Tennessee. 168 p.
Aswell, T. 2016. Bobby Jindal: His Destiny and Obsession. Pelican Publishing Co. Gretna, Louisiana. 294 p.
Cook, P. C. 1965. Antebellum Bienville Parish. MA thesis. Louisiana Polytechnic University. Ruston, Louisiana. 182 p.
Creed, D. A. 1969. An Economic and Social History of Madison Parish, Louisiana. MA thesis. Northeast Louisiana State College. Monroe, Louisiana. 188 p.
Esman, M. R. 1985. Henderson, Louisiana: Cultural Adaptation in a Cajun Community. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. New York. 137 p.
Foret, M. J. 1995. Louisiana Indian Studies: A Selected Bibliography. Center for Louisiana Studies. University of Southwestern Louisiana. Lafayette, Louisiana. 284 p.
Gute, F.D., Jeter, K.B. 1982. Historical Profile: Shreveport 1850. Shreveport Committee of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Louisiana. 262 p.
Haynie. S.P. Cunningham, M.B., ed. 2001. Legends of Oakland Plantation: The Prud'Hommes of Natchitoches Parish. Haynie. LaPressCo Printing. Shreveport, Louisiana. 74 p.
Hoffman, E.W. 1982. The German Soldiers in the American Revolution. Ph.D. dissertation. University Microfilms International. University of New Hampshire. v. 1-2. 585 p.
Keith, B. 2009. The Commissioner: A True Story of Deceit, Dishonor, and Death. Pelican Publishing Company. Gretna, Louisiana. 240 p.
The story of the murder of reporter and advertising personality Jim Leslie in Shreveport, and the then Shreveport city police commissioner George D'Artois's role in it.
LeBreton, M.M. 1985. Northwestern State University of Louisiana: 1884 - 1984: A History. Northwestern State University Press. Northwestern State University. Natchitoches, Louisiana. 304 p.
Mills, E.S. 1985. Natchitoches Church Marriages 1818 -1850: Translated Abstracts from the Registers of St. Francois des Natchitoches Louisiana. Cane River Creole Series. Mills Historical Press. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. v 6. 219 p.
McGinty, G.W. 1969(?). Ninety - Seven Young Men 1918 - 1968. Self-published. History of the Students Army Training Corps of Louisiana College.
McLauren, A.M. 1985. Glimpses of Shreveport. Northwestern State University Press. Natchitoches, Louisiana. Taylor Publishing Company. Sesquicentennial edition.
Stuck, G. 1986. Heritage Scrapbook of Northwest Louisiana. Self-published. 80 p.
News articles and features reprinted from The Times of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Selected Papers of the Third and Fourth Grand Reunions of the Descendants of the Founders of Natchitoches. March 1984. 60 p.
Dolch, N.A. and Morrow, L., eds. 1991. Red River Symposium. Red River Regional Studies Center. Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Shreveport, Louisiana.
from the Lincoln Parish Leader:
By Wesley Harris
Over 50 friends and colleagues of Dr. Philip Cook gathered on a chilly morning Saturday to watch the Lincoln Parish Museum & Historical Society bestow its first ever Legacy Award to the former Louisiana Tech University history professor.
The award was approved by the museum’s board several months ago to honor Cook for his contributions to the study of North Louisiana history and countless hours of volunteer commitment to the museum, according to its director, Rick Godley.
After Godley presented the award, a number from the audience took the floor to comment on Cook’s achievements in preserving local history.
Beverly Smith, a board member of the Herbert S. Ford Museum in Homer, expressed appreciation for Cook’s work in helping establish the Claiborne Parish museum. Noting its emphasis on interpreting the north Louisiana hill country, Smith said Cook’s assistance was essential in starting the museum.
Other speakers noted Cook’s efforts in placing historical markers around Lincoln Parish, helping prepare a detailed history of the parish for the American Bicentennial, aiding in the creation of the Lincoln Parish Museum, and his research and authorship of numerous articles on area history. One remembered Cook knew his subject matter so well he never used notes in the classroom.
Cook said he was surprised and honored by the award. He related to the audience his convoluted journey from growing up on a Bienville Parish dairy farm to university professor.
Cook graduated from LSU in 1956 and entered the university’s law school. His law studies were interrupted when he was drafted into military service. He served two years in the Army Counterintelligence Corps in France and Lebanon.
After brief stints in banking and running the family farm, Cook entered graduate school at the University of Georgia, earning a Ph.D. in history. He taught three years as a graduate instructor at Georgia. When he moved back to Louisiana, there was no history department openings at Louisiana Tech so he served two years as a professor at Northeast Louisiana University.
Cook joined the history faculty at Tech in 1969. He held the McGinty Chair of History until his retirement in 2008. He was then designated Professor Emeritus of Tech’s College of Liberal Arts.
Throughout much of his career, Cook served as advisor or co-advisor to the local Phi Alpha Theta History Society chapter and served on the Society’s national council. During his tenure, the Louisiana Tech chapter became a multi-year winner in the society’s “best chapter” competition.
Cook was a prolific researcher and writer on Louisiana history. He served for decades on the boards of the North Louisiana Historical Association, the Louisiana Historical Association, and the Lincoln Parish Museum & Historical Society. In 1990, Dr. Cook was appointed to the Louisiana Historical Records Advisory Commission.
Dr. Cook was named a Fellow of the Louisiana Historical Association, the highest honor an LHA member can receive. The designation as an LHA Fellow recognizes “outstanding accomplishments and remarkable contributions to Louisiana’s culture, literature, and history.”
Cook was instrumental in the establishment of several museums in north Louisiana and produced numerous articles on Louisiana history.
Upon his retirement from Louisiana Tech, Dr. Cook donated an extensive collection of articles, maps, newspaper articles and publications to the University Archives.
Godley said in the days leading up to the ceremony, he heard nothing but praise for Cook’s ability as a teacher. “Those I’ve talked to loved Dr. Cook’s teaching style. He was respected for how he embraced his subject and how he treated students,” Godley sai He told the audience the museum is raising funds to continue Dr. Cook’s efforts to place historical markers at significant points in Lincoln Parish.