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April 14, 2008
'Mr. Biola' Dies
Clyde Cook, former president of Biola, helped nearly double the university's student body.
Clyde Cook, the recently retired president of Biola University, died April 11. He was 73.
Known for several years as "Mr. Biola," Cook served as one of the nation’s longest-serving university presidents, leading the California university from 1982 to 2007.
Cook faced enormous challenges when he took the helm. A budget shortfall of 37 percent forced him to cut $1.3 million. And just two years into his presidency, he had a major heart attack at the age of 49. Also, Biola’s enrollment dropped from 3,181 in 1980 to 2,566 in 1989.
However, Biola’s enrollment has nearly doubled to 5,752, and the university added 20 acres to the campus and nine extension sites. Cook handed the reins to Barry H. Corey last summer. The university celebrated its centennial in February, and the Los Angeles Times wrote about how Biola has both evolved and stayed the same.
"When Ken Bascom arrived at Biola College in 1967 to work on his master's degree in history, his fellow students, almost all white, stuck to a strict dress code and had a 10 p.m. curfew on weeknights," wrote reporter Tiffany Hsu. "Last weekend, a multicultural throng of students, several with dyed hair, piercings or tattoos, celebrated the centennial of the private evangelical school -- a university since 1981 -- at a rock concert that extended into the early morning."
The New York Times featured Biola in 2004, when Samantha M. Shapiro wrote, "Evangelical Christianity's dance with secular culture has always been a complicated one." In the early 20th century, Biola sponsored a series of pamphlets called "The Fundamentals," which laid out the principles of the fundamentalist movement. The pamphlets opposed biblical and theological modernism, naturalism, Darwinism, and democratic socialism.
"When I spoke with Clyde Cook, Biola's genial president, he explained that the university is as committed as ever to the principles articulated in 'The Fundamentals,' although, he said, 'we've found different and more effective ways to deliver those truths.' ... [T]he school thinks it is preferable to have students internalize Christian truths through a process of questioning."
The Chimes, Biola's student newspaper, created a blog for people to share their memories of Cook.
"If it's possible for a man who towered over most people physically to walk gracefully and humbly, Clyde Cook had mastered it," wrote Chimes Features Editor Mitchell Young. "If there's one image I will always remember, it's a man whose list of accomplishments could fill books (and probably has) sitting at a crooked Caf table and eating with plastic silverware on one of the days that the Caf decided to give its dishwashers a day off."
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Comments
The Biola Chimes has a really nice website.
Posted By: RC | April 15, 2008 1:05 AM
Philadelphia, PA April 15, 2008 I visited Biola once. Clyde
Cook, who had been a missionary, said, "I can reach more people
for the cause of Christ and missions by taking this role as Biola
president, than if I spend the rest of my life overseas." He did
that. Two of my friends who attended Biola are now in Albania,
planting a church among the poorest of the poor in Tirana. ONe of
them grew up in Malibu, CA. I am thankful for the impact God had
through Clyde Cook on my two friends that I helped recruit (Luke 10:2). Bob Durham, PA
Posted By: Bob Durham | April 15, 2008 1:31 PM
As an alumnus of Biola, I will forever associate Clyde Cook with his annual retelling of the Pineapple Story.
Posted By: Stephanie | April 15, 2008 2:49 PM
There are so many positive things we all could say about Dr. Cook....he was my advisor in the 70's (Missions Major) and had a great impact on my thinking. Two things stand out about him, no, three: he had a heart for the lost, he really loved Anna Belle, and he was funny! Really down-to-earth funny! I'm so thankful for him leading my beloved Biola these past years, and I'm grateful to God for all he did with eternity in mind. We all were blessed to know him. Brooke Morgan, Murrieta, CA
Posted By: Brooke Morgan | April 15, 2008 8:03 PM
We really loved Clyde and his sweet wife, Annabelle. I remember the first time we met Clyde. My husband, Ken and I were singing for the lunch fellowship at OC Ministries? Ken was supposed to introduce Clyde as the new President to everyone at the luncheon right after we sang. He said, "It is my pleasure to introduce Overseas Crusades new president for the first time today." Then there was a LONG pause and Ken said... "What's his name?'' WELL ~~ Everyone laughed and thought he had done it on purpose because of Clyde's great sense of humor!! Clyde thought it was so funny and loved Ken for it!! Little did he know he had really forgotten his name as he had just met him 5 minutes before. We got to know Clyde very well over the next few years. We will always love Clyde for his leadership and his heart for God.. and His people.
Posted By: Shannon Porter | April 17, 2008 1:33 AM
Praise the Lord!!!
Dr. Cook was a disciple of Christ Jesus. Dr. Cook was a man of love. He was intentional in loving people. He is a great inspiration. The Biola community, the Church, and the world have been truly blessed by the life of brother Clyde Cook.
Posted By: frank valencia III | April 21, 2008 1:17 PM
Though I was not privileged to know Clyde Cook, I did have the privilege of visiting Biola in 1994. My (senior) second cousin, Gordon E. Hooker, was a music teacher, pianist and chimes player at Biola from about 1924, when he joined the staff. Mr Jack Schwarz kindly picked me up from Anaheim and gave me the run of the Library, to gather information about Gordon. I was deeply grateful for the too brief time I was able to spend there, a time that would not have been possible without Jack's kindness. I was most impressed with the University and its heritage. I would be grateful if someone could pass on my thanks to Jack, if still accessible. Warwick Grace.
Posted By: Warwick Grace | April 23, 2008 1:32 AM
I would love to hear more about Mr Hooker. I know this is off topic as they say, but Gordon Hooker and my grandfather were best friends throughout the war (WW1) and my dad was named after him. I would love to know some more about him, and so a little more about my grand father. I am researching my family genealogy, so any insight would be appreciated.
Posted By: Greg | October 30, 2009 11:47 PM