Blacks@Dartmouth 1775 to 1960

Lenoir Hall Cook

Shaw University (North Carolina) professor and administrator

alumnus image

Dartmouth College A.B.

Class of 1929

Columbia University (M.A.)

Born  1907  Washington DC

Died 1977 Raleigh NC

Quotes from Biographical Sources

Lenoir Hall Cook, dean and director of general studies at Shaw University, Raleigh, N.C., died September 20 while on leave of absence. He was born in Washington, D.C., where his parents were active in cultural events as the capital city became aware of the artistic rise of its minority population. At Dunbar High School he served as captain of the basketball and tennis teams. In college he majored in French and was a member of the Glee Club. His master's degree was earned at Columbia University.

He devoted most of his life to teaching; he remained at Shaw University for his entire professional career, rising from assistant professor of French to chairman of the French department and chairman of foreign languages and then dean and director of general studies. In 1972 the university awarded him the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters.

Lenoir retained an active interest in sports all his life. At Shaw he found time to coach women's basketball and to create a championship team. He was also an excellent tennis player.

He was married to the late Virginia Marguerite Russell and is survived by his sister, Louise Cook Hill, to whom the Class of 1929 expresses its deep sympathy. He will live in the memory of his many students and of all who respected his dedication to his profession and his sense of modesty and unselfishness.


Obituary. (Dec 1977). Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, 70(4), 77.

Other source(s)

  1. 3 Shaw Teachers Get Service Awards. (Jun 25, 1966). The Baltimore Afro-American, p. 20.

Profile image source: Dartmouth Aegis 1929