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John Warren Cooke

Member From: 1942 - 1979

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  • Birth Date: February 28, 1915 Birth Place:Mathews, VA
  • Death Date: November 28, 2009
  • Gender: Male Race: Caucasian
  • Spouse: Anne Brown Rawn
  • Children: Giles Buckner Cooke; Elsa VanNess Cooke Verbyla
  • Religion: Episcopalian
  • Education: Virginia Military Institute
  • Military Service:
  • Occupation/Profession: Newspaper publisher
  • Memberships/Affiliations: Episcopal Church Tidewater Newspapers, Inc. (president) United Virginia Bank of Gloucester (director)
  • Bio: Born in Mathews, Va., February 28, 1915 John Warren Cooke represented Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, and Middlesex Counties. He also represented Charles City and New Kent Counties, 1966-1972. He is the son of the late Giles Buckner Cooke and his second wife, the late Katharine (Grosh) Cooke. Speaker Cooke”s father, who following the Civil War became an Episcopal minister, served during that war on the personal staff of General Robert E. Lee, at the age of 26, as Major and Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General, Speaker Cooke, a life-long resident of Mathews, was educated in public and private schools and the Virginia Military Institute. He is the publisher of the Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal and president of Tidewater Newspapers, Incorporated, in Gloucester. He was 26 years old when elected to the House of Delegates in 1941. While serving as the Speaker, he was the oldest member of the General Assembly in point of service, and was known for his knowledge of parliamentary rules and procedures and for his objectivity and fair-mindedness as the presiding officer. He and Anne Brown Rawn, daughter of Andrew Bryson Rawn and Elsa (Brown) Rawn of Huntington, West Virginia, were married May 10, 1947. They have a son, Giles Buckner Cooke, and a daughter, Elsa VanNess Cooke Verbyla. The family home, “Palace Green”, is on Putin Creek, a tributary of the East River in Mathews.

    While he was Speaker of the House, the Clerks were GEORGE R. RICH and JOSEPH H. HOLLEMAN, JR.
  • Other Notable Service and/or Elected Offices: Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates: 1968-1980
Session District District Number Party Leadership Committees
1942 Counties of Gloucester and Mathews Democrat Agriculture
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Confirmation
Militia and Police
1944-1945 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Confirmation
Militia and Police
Privileges and Elections
1945 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Confirmation
Militia and Police
Privileges and Elections
1946-1947 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Confirmation
Game and Inland Fisheries
Militia and Police
Privileges and Elections
1947 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Confirmation
Game and Inland Fisheries
Militia and Police
Privileges and Elections
1948 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Confirmation
Finance
Militia and Police
Privileges and Elections
1950 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex Democrat Nominations and Confirmations (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Privileges and Elections
1952 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex Democrat Nominations and Confirmations (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Privileges and Elections
1954-1955 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries (Chair)
Finance
Nominations and Confirmations
Privileges and Elections
1955 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries (Chair)
Finance
Nominations and Confirmations
Privileges and Elections
1956 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews and Middlesex Democrat Chesapeake and Its Tributaries (Chair)
Finance
Nominations and Confirmations
Privileges and Elections
1958-1959 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1959 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1960 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1962-1963 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex 32 Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1963 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex 32 Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1964-1965 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex 31 Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1965 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, and Middlesex 31 Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1966 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, New Kent, Charles City, and Middlesex 31 Democrat Privileges and Elections (Chair)
Agriculture
Chesapeake and Its Tributaries
Finance
Rules
1968-1969 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, New Kent, Charles City and Middlesex 31 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1969 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, New Kent, Charles City and Middlesex 31 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1970-1971 Counties of Gloucester, Mathews, New Kent, Charles City, and Middlesex 31 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1972-1973 Counties of Essex (part), Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, King and Queen and King William 48 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1974-1975 Counties of Essex, Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, King and Queen and King William 48 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1976-1977 Counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, and Middlesex 48 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1978 Counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, and Middlesex 48 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)
1979 Counties of Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William, Mathews, and Middlesex 48 Democrat Speaker of the House Rules (Chair)

*The information within this interactive and searchable application has been researched extensively by the House Clerk’s Office. As with any historical records of this age and breadth, there may be discrepancies and/or inconsistencies within records obtained from a variety of credible sources. Any feedback is encouraged at history@house.virginia.gov.

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