“American institutions are of more consequence than the wealth or power of the country.” At least that’s what the wealthy lawyer William W. Cook believed.
And from 1922-1930, Cook acted on that belief by creating a magnificent law school for his alma mater: the University of Michigan. Retired Director of the U-M Law Library Margaret Leary will share the story of Cook’s gift and how it—and the clashes over it—not only created Michigan’s iconic Law Quadrangle, but also helped inspire a wave of donations that reshaped the University.