James Wilfred Cook facts for kids

Sir James Wilfred Cook (1900–1975) was an important English chemist. He was known for his amazing research into chemicals that can cause cancer. His friends often called him Jim Cook.

A Life of Discovery

Jim Cook was born in South Kensington, London, on December 10, 1900. His father was a coachman. Jim was very smart and won a special scholarship. This allowed him to attend Sloane School in Chelsea, London.

He went on to study Chemistry at University College, London. After finishing his studies, he started teaching in 1920. In 1923, he earned his Ph.D. for his work on a chemical called Anthracene.

In 1929, a scientist named Ernest Kennaway invited Jim to work at the Royal Cancer Hospital. He stayed there until 1939. At the hospital, Jim researched how certain chemicals could cause cancer. He found that some parts of tar, like what's in cigarettes, had chemicals similar to anthracene.

Jim Cook was the first to show that a pure chemical compound could cause cancer. He worked with many different chemicals, like 3,4-benzopyrene. This was a huge step in understanding how cancer starts.

In 1939, he moved to Glasgow University to become a Chemistry Professor. He continued to study cancer-causing compounds. But now, he also looked at chemicals found naturally. A big part of his work was understanding Alkaloid Colchicine. This compound has properties that fight cancer, but it's also very poisonous. Jim tried to create similar, less toxic compounds in his lab.

In 1954, he became the head of a college in Exeter. In 1955, this college became the University of Exeter, and Jim Cook became its Vice Chancellor. He kept working on chemicals that cause cancer, especially those found in crude oil and tobacco smoke. He received many special degrees from different universities.

Jim Cook retired from the University of Exeter in 1965. After his wife passed away, he moved to East Africa in 1966. He became the Vice Chancellor of the University of East Africa. This university had campuses in Kampala, Nairobi, and Dar es Salaam. In 1970, this university split into three separate universities.

In 1970, he returned to England and lived in Exeter. He passed away suddenly on October 21, 1975.

Achievements and Awards

Sir James Cook wrote about 240 scientific articles. He received many honors for his work. In 1954, he won the very important Davy Medal from the Royal Society of London. In 1963, Queen Elizabeth made him a knight, which meant he could use "Sir" before his name.

Important Roles

Jim Cook also held several important positions:

• He was the President of the Royal Institute of Chemistry from 1949 to 1951.
• He served on the University Grants Committee from 1950 to 1954.
• He was part of a committee looking at the costs of the National Health Service from 1956 to 1959.
• He advised on pesticides and other toxic chemicals from 1962 to 1966.

Family Life

Jim Cook was married twice. In 1930, he married Elsie Winifred Griffith, and they had three children. After Elsie died in 1966, he married Vera Elizabeth Ford, a biology teacher, the next year.