England; to U.S. 1922; St. Louis, Missouri; Garwood, New Jersey, 1930; Boston, Massachusetts, Methuen, Massachusetts; Orrville, Ohio, 1946.
Classification: Undetermined
From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders, revised edition, by David H. Fox (Organ Historical Society, 1997). -
John Cook Sr. was born in Bramley, Leeds, England; he immigrated to the United States, in 1922; and began with the George Kilgen firm of St. Louis, Missouri. Eight years later, he moved east and began with the Aeolian Co. of Garwood, New Jersey, in 1930, where he worked as a pipemaker. After Aeolian merged with Skinner, he remained with the successor firm of Aeolian-Skinner of Boston, Massachusetts. He later joined Ernest Skinner in his new company, Ernest M. Skinner & Son of Methuen, Massachusetts, where he became head pipemaker. After World War II, he changed companies and started with Schantz Organ Co. of Orrville, Ohio, 1946, as a pipemaker, then superintendent. Cook retired June, 1965; he died 5 May 1966 in Yarmouth, Maine, age 74.
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