# Ralph Cook

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**Ralph Delano Cook** (born April 29, 1944) is an American judge who served as an associate justice of the [Supreme Court of Alabama](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Alabama) from 1993 to 2001. Governor [Jim Folsom Jr.](/source/Jim_Folsom_Jr.) appointed Cook to finish the term of [Oscar W. Adams Jr.](/source/Oscar_W._Adams_Jr.) upon Adams' retirement.[1][2]

## Early life, education, and career

Raised in [Jefferson County, Alabama](/source/Jefferson_County,_Alabama), Cook was "the second of three children of Joe and Nannie Cook", who owned and operated a cleaning service in [Bessemer](/source/Bessemer,_Alabama).[3] Cook received his [B.S.](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) from [Tennessee State University](/source/Tennessee_State_University) and his [J.D.](/source/Juris_Doctor) from [Howard University School of Law](/source/Howard_University_School_of_Law).[4] He thereafter moved to California, where he taught at [San Jose State University](/source/San_Jose_State_University) and at [Cabrillo College](/source/Cabrillo_College).[4][3] He was an administrative analyst for the city of [Berkeley, California](/source/Berkeley,_California), from 1971 to 1973, leaving at the end of 1973 to take a position as a deputy district attorney in Alabama.[3][5]

After returning to Alabama, he also taught at [Miles Law School](/source/Miles_Law_School), and was named the [dean](/source/Law_school_dean) of the law school in September 1976,[6] serving in that capacity until 1990.[3]

## Judicial career

Cook was the first black person to be elected to a state district judgeship in [Jefferson County, Alabama](/source/Jefferson_County,_Alabama), the largest county in the state,[7] where he served for four and a half years.[3] He thereafter became the first black person to be elected to the circuit court for the same county.[7]

Cook was sworn in as a justice of the state supreme court in November 1993.[7] In November 1994, Cook, running as a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) defeated [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) challenger Mark Montiel to win election to a full term on the court.[8] In his 2000 bid for reelection to the court, however, Cook was defeated by Republican challenger [Lyn Stuart](/source/Lyn_Stuart).[9]

## Personal life

Cook married Charlsie Davis, also of Jefferson County, with whom he had two daughters and a son.[4]

## References

1. Tom Hughes, "Pioneering justice swears in successor", *The Montgomery Advertiser* (October 31, 1993), p. 1B.

1. ["Justice Adams Announces Retirement; Circuit Judge Ralph Cook is Appointed"](http://www.alacourt.gov/Court%20News/October-1993.pdf). *Alabama Court News*. October 1993.

1. "Justices have much in common", *The Montgomery Advertiser* (October 31, 1993), p. 1B, 6B.

1. ["RALPH D. COOK: Associate Justice - 1993-2001"](https://judicial.alabama.gov/Docs/library/Bios/RalphDCook.pdf). Judiciary of Alabama. Retrieved June 18, 2022.

1. "City official accepts post in Alabama", *The Berkeley Gazette* (December 7, 1973), p. 1.

1. "Bessemer judge new Miles dean of law", *Birmingham Post-Herald* (September 16, 1976), p. A7.

1. Phillip Rawls, "Ralph Cook becomes second black on state Supreme Court", *Birmingham Post-Herald* (November 2, 1993), p. D4.

1. Bob Johnson, "Cook, Kennedy win court races", *Birmingham Post-Herald* (November 10, 1994), p. C1.

1. Kirkland, Kay (November 8, 2000). ["Coffee County favors Bush"](https://www.southeastsun.com/home/article_e143bf00-3e58-5ae4-8f83-1dc0628dcdff.html). The Southeast Sun.

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