Research Files on George H. Cook

Jean W. Sidar

Jean W. Sidar, born 1922, was an active part of the Rutgers community beginning with her undergraduate career at the New Jersey College for Women (modern-day Douglass College). Graduating from the college in 1943, she went on to receive both her masters and her PhD from Rutgers. Sidar went on to become a professor at Douglass College, as well as teach at Waynesburg College. During the tenure of President Bloustein, she took on the roles of vice president and secretary.

In [Pub date], she published George Hammel Cook: A Life in Agriculture and Geology, a book that she proposed in 1964. She spoke about the book widely, and garnered great praise for writing the text.

Sidar died on August 27, 2012, at the age of 90.

George H. Cook

George Hammel Cook, one of the vice presidents of Rutgers, was born on January 18, 1818. He came to Rutgers College in 1853, as a professor of chemistry, where his chemical analysis of marl and better places to mine it got him noticed by the state of New Jersey. He became assistant to the state geologist after that.

In 1864, Cook became the New Jersey state geologist - the same year that he became vice president of Rutgers College

Cook published an updated geological survey of New Jersey in 1872, and went on to be appointed the director of the State Agriculture Experimentation Station in 1879. He held this position, in addition to his positions as state geologist and vice president of Rutgers College, until his death on September 22, 1889