Ralph Cook | |
---|---|
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama | |
In office 1993–2001 | |
Appointed by | Jim Folsom |
Preceded by | Oscar W. Adams Jr. |
Succeeded by | Lyn Stuart |
Personal details | |
Born | Ralph Delano Cook April 29,1944 |
Nationality | American |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Charlsie Davis |
Children | 3 |
Parent(s) | Joe Cook Nannie Cook |
Education | Tennessee State University (BS) Howard University School of Law (JD) |
Profession | Judge |
Ralph Delano Cook (born April 29,1944) was a justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama from 1993 to 2001. Governor Jim Folsom Jr. appointed Cook to finish the term of Oscar W. Adams Jr. upon Adams' retirement. [1] [2]
Raised in Jefferson County,Alabama,Cook was "the second of three children of Joe and Nannie Cook",who owned and operated a cleaning service in Bessemer. [3] Cook received his B.S. from Tennessee State University and his J.D. from Howard University School of Law. [4] He thereafter moved to California,where he taught at San Jose State University and at Cabrillo College. [4] [3] He was an administrative analyst for the city of Berkeley,California,from 1971 to 1973,leaving at the end of 1973 to take a position as a deputy district attorney in Alabama. [3] [5]
After returning to Alabama,he also taught at Miles Law School,and was named the dean of the law school in September 1976, [6] serving in that capacity until 1990. [3]
Cook was the first black person to be elected to a state district judgeship in Jefferson County,Alabama,the largest county in the state, [7] where he served for four and a half years. [3] He thereafter became the first black person to be elected to the circuit court for the same county. [7]
Cook was sworn in as a justice of the state supreme court in November 1993. [7] In November 1994,Cook,running as a Democrat defeated Republican challenger Mark Montiel to win election to a full term on the court. [8] In his 2000 bid for reelection to the court,however,Cook was defeated by Republican challenger Lyn Stuart. [9]
Cook married Charlsie Davis,also of Jefferson County,with whom he had two daughters and a son. [4]