Paul M. Cook facts for kids

Paul M. Cook (born April 25, 1924 – died December 14, 2020) was a smart American businessman. He started a big company called Raychem. This company made special chemical products. Raychem grew to be very successful, earning billions of dollars each year. Paul Cook was even given a special award, the National Medal of Technology, in 1988. This award recognized his amazing ideas and leadership in the chemical industry.

Early Life and Learning

Paul Cook loved chemistry from a young age. He even built his own chemistry lab in his parents' basement! After finishing high school in 1941, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, he studied chemical engineering.

In 1943, Paul joined the United States Army. He was part of a special program that sent him to Stanford University. He studied mechanical engineering there for a short time. Later, he trained to become an officer and fought in Italy with the 10th Mountain Division.

After the war, in 1946, Paul left the army. He worked for a company in Boston before returning to MIT. He finished his Bachelor of Science degree in 1947.

Starting His Career

Paul Cook was one of the first people to work at SRI International. He joined them in 1948. At SRI, he led a lab that studied how high-energy electrons could change materials called polymers. This was a new and exciting field!

In 1951, Paul started his first company, the Sequoia Process Corporation. After five years, he left to create Raychem in 1957. Raychem focused on using his ideas about radiochemistry to make useful products for people and businesses. He was the main leader and chairman of Raychem for many years.

Paul Cook also started other companies later in his life. These included CellNet Data Systems, DIVA Systems (which started in 1995), and Promptu.

Awards and Recognition

Paul Cook was a respected leader. He served on the board of directors for SRI International for nine years. For six of those years, he was the chairman, helping guide the organization.

He received several important awards for his work. In 1986, he was given the Winthrop-Sears Medal from a chemical industry group. Then, in 1988, the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, presented him with the National Medal of Technology. This was a huge honor!

In 1999, he was recognized with the Bay Area Council's Bay Area Business Hall of Fame Award. Later, in 2008, he received SRI's Weldon B. "Hoot" Gibson Achievement Award. These awards show how much he contributed to science and business.