William Bridge Cooke, 1908- 1991
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Mycologia,Mycologza, 86(5), 1994, pp. 704-711.704-7 1 1. ©1C 1994, byby The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY 10458-512610458-5126 William BridgeBridge Cooke, 1908-19911908- 1991 MichaelMichael A. Vincent degreedegree awardedawarded inin 1939. After beingbeing drafteddrafted andand serv-sen- MarthaMartha J.J. PowellPowell inging inin thethe ArmyArm) duringduring WorldWorld War II,11, BridgeBr~dgeearnedearned DepartmentDepartment ofof Botany,Botany, Miami,bfzantz University,Cnzversztj, Oxford,Oxford, OhioOhlo hishis Ph.D.Ph.D. fromfrom thethe StateState CollegeCollege ofof WashingtonIVashington inin 45056 45056 1950,1950,under under thethe directiondirection ofof RexfordRexford F.F. Daubenmire.Daubenmire. AA colorfulcolorful employmentemployment historyhistory exemplifiedexernplified BridgeBridge HaroldHarold H.H. Burdsall,Burdsall, Jr.Jr. Cooke'sCooke's lovelove ofof naturalnatural history,histon, especiallyespeciall) fungi.fungi. HisHis CenterCentet forfor ForestForest MycologyLMycologjResearch, Research, USDA,L SDA4.ForestFotest ProductsPtoducts Laboratory,Labolator)', OneOne Gi¶ordGzjord PinchotPznchot Drive,Drzve, earliestearliest employmentemployment waswas aa NationalSational YouthYouth Adminis-Adminis- Madison,,Ilad~so?a,WisconsinH zstonszn 5370553705 trationtration positionposition inin thethe UniversityUniversity ofof CincinnatiCincinnati her-her- barium,barium, preparingpreparing fungalfungal specimens.specimens. SummersSummers fromfrom 1936-19411936-1941 andand 1946-19471946-1947 werewere spentspent asas custodiancustodian ofof thethe ShastaShasta AlpineAlpine Lodge,Lodge, MountMount Shasta,Shasta, California.California. ForFor mostmost ofof us,us, amongamong favoritefavorite imagesimages rememberedremembered ItIt wasTvas aa ruggedrugged job,job, gettinggetting upup atat 4:004:00 A.M.,A.M.,but but thisthis fromfrom MSAMSA foraysforays andand meetingsmeetings areare thosethose ofof Dr.Dr. Wil-Wil- employmentemployment allowedallowed much~nuchtimetime forfor floristicfloristic studies,studies, liamliam BridgeBridge CookeCooke colorfullycolorfully attiredattired inin oneone ofof hishis resultedresulted inin severalseveral publications,publications, includingincluding aa seriesseries ofof mushroommushroom shirts,shirts, carefullycarefully craftedcrafted byby hishis wife.wife. HeHe popularpopular articlesarticles inin thethe MountALfozlnfShastaSha~lu Herald,Herald, andand shapedshaped acceptedaccepted thethe tasktask ofof summarizingsummarizing resultsresults ofof thesethese ex-ex- muchmuch ofof thethe restrest ofof hishis life'slife's activities.activities. WhileIl'hile atat OregonOregon cursionscursions asas aa seriousserious responsibility.responsibility. AA prolificprolific author,author, StateState College,College, hehe earnedearned hishis livingliving byby aidingaiding RoderickRoderick writingwriting nearlynearly 200200 articlesarticles duringduring hishis longlong andand pro-pro- SpragueSprague identifyidentify grassgrass diseases.diseases. PriorPrior toto WorldIl'orld WarWar ductiveductive life,life, BridgeBridge pioneeredpioneered standardsstandards forfor microbialmicrobial II,11, BridgeBridge contributedcontributed articlesarticles toto thethe Warren\lbr.retl CountyCozitztj observationsobsemations duringduring waste-waterwaste-~vatertreatment,treatment, andand waswas News,Yews (Ohio)(Ohio) onon locallocal plantplant life.life. DuringDuring thethe war,war, hehe renownedrenowned forfor hishis knowledgeknowledge ofof fungalfungal ecologyecolog) andand servedsened forfor 22 yryr asas aa U.S.U.S.Army Arm)-supply supply clerkclerk inin VirginiaVirginia taxonomy,taxonomy, especiallyespecially ofof thethe Polyporaceae.Polyporaceae. ButBut firstfirst andand andandwas was thenthen transferredtransferred toto thethe TropicalTropical DeteriorationDeterioration foremost,foremost, BridgeBridge waswas aa loverlover ofof thethe out-of-doors,out-of-doors, es-es- ResearchResearch LaboratoryLaboratory inin Philadelphia,Philadelphia, aa positionposition thatthat peciallypecially thethe mountains,mountains, andand thethe fungifungi theythey relin-relin- utilizedutilized hishis mycologicalmycological expertiseexpertise onon aa studystud) ofof thethe quishedquished toto anan avidavid collector.collector. rolerole ofof fungifungi inin thethe destructiondestruction ofof equipmentequiprrlent andand WilliamWilliam BridgeBridge CookeCooke was\<as bornborn JulyJuly 16,16, 19081908 inin clothingclothingin in tropicaltropical climates.climates. AfterXfter hishis dischargedischarge fromfrom Foster,Foster, WarrenWarren County,County, Ohio,Ohio, andand dieddied atat thethe ageage ofof thethearmy, army,Vivian Vivian encouragedencouragedBridge Bridge toto pursuepursue hishis Ph.D.P11.D. 8383 inin Cincinnati,Cincinnati, OhioOhio onon DecemberDecember 30,30, 1991.1991. HeHe ThisThis ledled toto aa movemove toto Washington,Washington, wherewhere hehe workedworked waswas thethe eldesteldest ofof thethe fourfour childrenchildren ofof WilliamWilliam ThomasThomas inin thethe herbariumherbarium underunder thethe directiondirection ofof CharlesCharles Gard-Gard- HunterHunterCooke, Cooke,a agardener, gardener,and andKatherine Katherine MayMay (Bridge)(Bridge) nerner Shaw.Shaw. UponUpon completingcoillpleting thethe Ph.D.,P11.D.. BridgeBridge wastvas Cooke,Cooke, aa teacher.teacher. BridgeBridge marriedmarried VivianVivian MarieMarie Green-Green- employede~nployedbyby thethe RobertRobert A.A.Taft Taft SanitarySanitan EngineeringEngineering waldwald ononJune June 12,12, 1942,1942, inin Reno,Reno, Nevada,Nevada, afterafter aa 12-12- Center,Center, Cincinnati,Cincinnati, asas aa mycologist,mj-cologist,a a positionposition hehe heldheld yrj-r courtship.courtship. untiluntil hishis retirementretirement inin 1969.1969.In In hishis retirementretirerrlent years,)-ears, BridgeBridge Cooke'sCooke's educationeducation beganbegan atathis his mother'smother's side.side. hehe heldheld researchresearch associateassociate appointmentsappointments atat thethe Uni-Uni- AsAs aa publicpublic schoolschool teacher,teacher, sheshe tooktook herher childrenchildren withwith versityversity ofof CincinnatiCincinnati andand Miamihliami University.Lniversit!.. herher toto thethe schoolschoolwhere where sheshetaught. taught. AfterAfter earlyearly school-school- AsAs aa professionalprofessional mycologist,nlycologist, BridgeBridge CookeCooke au-au- inging inin Foster,Foster, BridgeBridge graduatedgraduated fromfronl TerranceTerrance ParkPark thoredthored atat leastleast 192192publications publications onon thethe taxonomytaxonornj andand HighHigh SchoolSchool inin 1925.1925. HeHe enrolledenrolled inin thethe UniversityUniversity ecologyecoloa-of of fungi,fungi, fungalfungal andand vascularvascular plantplant floristics,floristics, ofof CincinnatiCincinnati nightnight schoolschool programprogram inin 1928,1928,and and thenthen andand wastewaste waterwater organisms,organisms, includingincluding fivefive books:books: A'4 wantedwanted toto enterenter thethe UnitarianUnitarian ministry,ministn, butbut afterafter aa LaboratoryLaboratory GuideGuide totoFungi Fungi ininPolluted Polluted WatersP\/lhter.s .. .. .. (1963)(1963), yearyear ofof studystudy atat thethe PacificPacific UnitarianUnitarian SchoolSchool forfor thethe OurOur Mouldy,Vfould~EarthEarth (1970),(1970). TheThe EcologyEcology ofoj'Fz~ngiFungi (1979),(1979). MinistryMinistry inin Berkeley,Berkeley,California, California,felt felthe helacked lacked thethetem- tem- FungiFungi ofofLassenLassen Volcanicl'olcanic NationalLYationulPark Park (1985),(19851,and and TheThe peramentperament forfor thethejob. job. AfterAfter aa briefbrief periodperiod ofof studystudy atat FungiFungi ofof OurOurMouldy ibfouldyEarth Earth (1986).(1986).New New taxataxa hehe pub-pub- thetheUniversity University ofof California,California,Berkeley, Berkeley,Bridge Bridge returnedreturned lishedlished includeinclude atat leastleast 33 subfamilies,subfamilies, 1010genera, genera, 1 1sec- sec- toto thethe UniversityUniversity ofof CincinnatiCincinnati inin 1932,1932,from from whichwhich tion,tion, 1 1 subgenus,subgenus, 144144 species,species, andand 44 subspeciessubspecies andand hehegraduated graduated inin 19371937with wit11 aaB.A. B.A. inin Botany.Botany. GraduateGraduate varieties,~arieties,asas wellwell asas 141141 newnew combinationscombinations atat variousvarious studystudy waswas undertakenundertaken atat thethe OregonOregon StateState CollegeCollege ranks.ranks.Bridge Bridgewas Jvas ananavid avidreader readerand andpublished published atatleast least underunder thethe guidanceguidanceof of DonaldDonald P.P. Rogers,Rogers,with with aa M.S.M.S. 160160book book reviews.revie~vs.HeHe also alsowrote, wrote,but butnever never published,published, 704 VNCENT ET AL.: WHDAM COOKE 705 William Bridge Cooke, about 1960. English translations of many scientific articles from under revision at the time of his death, and is being German and French, including such major works as edited for posthumous publication. Lohwag's AnatomieAnutomie der Asco- und Basidiomyceten. His William Bridge Cooke was a member of numerous last major scientific work, a fungal biota of Ohio, was scientific societies, including the American Association 706 MYCOLOGIA for the Advancement of Science (fellow), MycologcalMycological sued, numbering 1-450, from 1939 to 1951, and ma- Society of America, Explorer's Club, British Mycolog- terials for new issues were being prepared at the time ical Society, International Society for Human and An- he died. Many taxa were based on his collections,