View source for Biography:Frank J. Cooke

{{other people|Frank Cooke}}
{{Infobox politician
|name=Frank J. Cooke
|image=
|caption=
|birth_date=1922
|birth_place= 
|death_date=1996
|death_place=Norwalk, Connecticut
|residence=15 Channel Road, Norwalk, Connecticut
|office=Mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut
|order=30th
|term_start=1961
|term_end=1965<br/>2 terms
|predecessor=John Shostak
|successor=Frank Zullo
|party=Republican
|religion=
|spouse=Carolyn Spear Cooke<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dBRJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bwYNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6315,915669&dq=frank+cooke+norwalk&hl=en]</ref>
|children = Christopher Hamel Cooke,<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7QQhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7nUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2293,4915187&dq=frank+cooke+norwalk&hl=en Karen Nickerson, Mr. Cooke Marry in Noon Nuptials]</ref> Jefferey Cooke, Sarah Cooke
}}

'''Frank J. Cooke''' (c. 1922 – c. 1996) was a two-term Republican mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut from 1961 to 1965. He had previously served as a two-term member and president of Norwalk's Common Council.<ref name="hour66">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1898&dat=19661224&id=V-ogAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qW8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6226,6460443 Council Prize Attracts Some Mayor Hopefuls]</ref> Cooke was an engineer by profession and founded Cooke Vacuum Products in 1959. He operated it as an electronics manufacturer and research and development contractor until 1994.

== Early life ==
He was a veteran of [[Social:World War II|World War II]],<ref name="mj">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=buRIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JQINAAAAIBAJ&pg=867,6236549&dq=frank+cooke+norwalk&hl=en Mayoralty Race In Norwalk Is 3-Man Contest]</ref>  serving as a member of the Fourth Marine Division in the 4th Air Wing.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Wf4gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A3YFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5490,1504187&dq=frank+cooke+norwalk&hl=en]</ref>

== Mayoral administration  ==
In 1961, Cooke ran against Irving Freese and William O. Morrow in a three way race for mayor.<ref name="mj"/> During his administration a Charter Revision Commission was appointed to make recommendations on the Norwalk Charter. He reactivated the Mayor's Committee on Intergroup Relations, which had originally been formed in 1960 to deal with local interracial problems.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1963/07/11/archives/norwalk-activates-racial-committee.html "Norwalk Activates Racial Committee"]</ref> He won in a very close four way race for his second term, narrowly beating Donald Irwin.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g6gtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_XQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1821,4069493&dq=frank+cooke+norwalk&hl=en]</ref> He did not seek a third term.

== Post mayoral career ==
In March 1965, his company F.J. Cooke Inc. was put into involuntary bankruptcy.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1965/03/28/archives/norwalks-bankrupt-mayor-is-rescued-by-his-friends.html Norwalk's Bankrupt Mayor Is Rescued by His Friends]</ref> He formed a new company, Cooke Vacuum Products, Inc., which he opened in space rented from the Hat Corporation of America.<ref name="nyt"/>

In March, 1988, he was appointed chairman of Norwalk Bank.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tXUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zHQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1100,4255505&dq=frank+cooke&hl=en Cooke To Leave Norwalk Bank]</ref> He served as its chairman for two years.

In 1994, Cooke sold Cooke Vacuum Products to Richard Stein.<ref>[http://www.cookevacuum.com/fcbnewspage.html ''Fairfield Business Journal'']</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=Mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut|before=John Shostak|after=Frank Zullo|years=1961–1965}}
{{s-end}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Frank}}
[[Category:American engineers]]

{{Sourceattribution|Frank J. Cooke|1}}