CHESTER COOKE (1936-1938) #50As part of #KCParks125, we are featuring all 104 Park Board Commissioners in order of their service.Chester Cooke (1883-1959) was born in Evanston, Illinois. His family moved central Kansas when Chester was three years old. He attended the University of Kansas and graduated with an engineering degree in 1905, winning letters in football and track.Chester worked as a civil engineer for several years and was superintendent of Jackson County, Missouri road repairs in the early 1910s. Chester’s father was in the banking business in Kansas. His two brothers started a bank in Kansas City in 1914 and Chester joined them in 1917. Going into the Army in World War I he became a Captain in the Engineers. Returning to Kansas City after the War, he went back into the banking business.Mr. Cooke was appointed to the Board of Park Commissioners in 1936 upon the resignation of David Long. He served until 1938 when he resigned after becoming city councilman for the third district in the northeastern area of the city where he lived.When troubles erupted within the Kansas City city government in 1939 because of the prosecution of Thomas Pendergast and the fall of Mr. Pendergast’s right hand man City Manager Henry McElroy, the City Council was affected as well and much discussion of the reorganization of the city government occurred. Mr. Cooke was the newest member of the Council and, while a Democrat who had been backed by the Pendergast faction in his election, he had not strongly been linked to Pendergast. Mr. Cooke did not run for reelection in 1940 and continued in the banking business until 1948 when he retired. He married for the first time in 1944. He was also involved with the Shriners, the Northeast Citizens Club, golf and fishing. #KCParks #FromTheArchives