Rodney Mims Cook Sr.
| Rodney Mims Cook, Sr. | |
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| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 123rd district |
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In office 1967–1973 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 23, 1924 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 2013 (aged 88) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Lane Young (m. 2003) Sidney Adamson (m. 1970s-2002) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | James Leslie Cook Bess Mims Cook |
| Residence | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Washington and Lee University (BA) |
Rodney Mims Cook (March 23, 1924 – January 13, 2013) was a Georgia public figure who served for over twenty years as an Atlanta city alderman and member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
Cook was one of the first Republican officials elected in Georgia since Reconstruction. He served at-large as an Atlanta alderman and a member of the Georgia House simultaneously for a number of years. A law has since been passed to prohibit dual offices being held. He was heavily involved in legislative proposals in areas pertaining to civil rights, zoning, urban renewal, the Atlanta Airport, the Interstate Highway system, and the Atlanta Stadium Authority housing the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons professional sports teams. The commemorative plaques on these buildings including Hartsfield-Jackson International airport record his efforts.
Cook was born in Atlanta to James Leslie Cook and Bess Mims Cook. His father owned a number of men's clothing stores around the southeastern United States. Cook's mother, a member of the Mims family, have influenced the history of Georgia for over 200 years. Her grandfather's farm, called Red Oak, was destroyed by the invading army of General William T. Sherman during the Siege of Atlanta and the March to the Sea. The record of damages paid to this family by the Federal Government are in the archives of the Library of Congress and include the family's efforts to bring about a peaceful conclusion to the Civil War.
Cook attended Washington and Lee University and graduated valedictorian and summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1947. His college education was interrupted by World War II, during which Cook was a lieutenant in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater. He served on the USS DuPage (APA-41), that was hit by a kamikaze pilot during the war, but he was uninjured.
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