Guide to the Frederick Albert Cook Collection, 1909, 1955, 1991-2009, bulk 1991-2009 SPEC.PA.56.0019 Finding aid prepared by Audrey Wimbiscus Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2026 April This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2026-05-06T11:51-0400 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Frederick Albert Cook Collection SPEC.PA.56.0019 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 2.78 Cubic feet Bulk, 1991-2009 1909, 1955, 1991-2009, bulk 1991-2009 Dr. Frederick A. Cook (1865-1940) was allegedly both the first person to reach the summit of Denali, the tallest mountain in North American, and the first person to reach the North Pole. The Frederick Albert Cook Collection dates from 1909, 1955, and 1991-2009, with the bulk of items dating from 1991-2009. It consists of materials that are about Cook, including newspaper clippings, a book prospectus about Cook's journey to the North Pole, and a microfilm copy of the Library of Congress's Frederick Albert Cook Papers. The collection also contains essays and photographs from writers arguing both that Cook did reach Denali and the North Pole, and that he did not reach either location. (1) 2.5" legal document box; (1) 5" letter document box; (1) carton; (1) oversize flat box; (1) oversize folder English Arrangement of Materials

The Frederick Albert Cook Collection is arranged in chronological order; materials with the same date are further arranged in alphabetical order by item title.

 Acquisitions Information

Accession No. PA.1997.0006: Bradford Washburn, 1997 December; Accession No. PA.1997.0009: Belgica Conference, 1997 September; Accession No. PA.1998.0004: Bradford Washburn, 1998 January; Accession No. PA.1998.0011: Bradford Washburn, 1998 October; Accession No. PA.1998.0014: Source unknown, 1998; Accession No. PA.1998.0017: Bradford Washburn, 1998 June; Accession No. PA.1999.0009: Sheldon Shackelford Randolph Cook, 1999 November; Accession No. PA.2000.0004: Bradford Washburn, 2000 February; Accession No. PA.2004.0009: Sheldon Shackelford Randolph Cook, 2004 December; Accession No. PA.2005.0001: Russ Gibbons, 2005 January; Accession No. PA.2006.0002: Sheldon Shackelford Randolph Cook, 2006 January; Accession No. PA.2006.0017: Fred Ruffner, 2006 September; Accession No. PA.2006.0020: Russ Gibbons, 2006 November; Accession No. PA.2007.0002: Purchased, 2007 January; Accession No. PA.2007.0021: Allen Foster, 2007 August; Accession No. PA.2008.0005: Russ Gibbons, 2008 June; Accession No. PA.2009.0002: Sheldon Shackelford Randolph Cook, 2009 March; Accession No. PA.2010.0005: Sheldon Shackelford Randolph Cook, 2010 February

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Frederick Albert Cook Collection, SPEC.PA.56.0019, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University

 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Contains microfilms.

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program at polararchives@osu.edu for more information.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Processing Information

Processed by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2026 April; Finding aid written by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2026 April

 Biographical Note

Dr. Frederick A. Cook (1865-1940) was an American explorer of the polar regions and a doctor. He served as a surgeon on both Robert Peary’s Arctic Expedition of 1891-1892, and on the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897-1899). In 1906, Cook allegedly was the first person to reach the summit of Denali (also known as Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in North America; this claim has been disputed, and as of 2026 continues to be the subject of debate among scientists and polar historians.

Cook was allegedly the first person to reach the North Pole, claiming to have stepped foot there on April 21, 1908; it took more than a year for him and his expedition members to return to civilization from their Arctic trek and publicize this feat. This claim has also been disputed, most publically by fellow polar explorer Robert Peary who also claimed to have been the first to reach the North Pole on April 6, 1909.

Following his time as an explorer, Cook became involved in a startup oil company in Texas in 1919; the company was federally investigated for fraud. Cook was charged with fourteen counts of fraud and sentenced to fourteen years and nine months in jail in 1923. He was released in 1930, and was pardoned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940.

 Scope and Contents

The Frederick Albert Cook Collection dates from 1909, 1955, and 1991-2009, with the bulk of items dating from 1991-2009. It consists of materials that are about Cook, including newspaper clippings covering his and Robert Peary's journeys to the North Pole, a book prospectus about Cook's journey to the North Pole, and a microfilm copy of the Library of Congress's Frederick Albert Cook Papers.The collection also contains essays and photographs from writers who argue that Cook did not reach the summit of Denali or the North Pole, and writers who believe that he was the first person to reach the summit of Denali and the North Pole.

 Cook, Frederick Albert, 1865-1940 Cook, Sheldon S.R. Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin), 1856-1920 Washburn, Bradford, 1910-2007 Arctic regions--Discovery and exploration--American--20th century Denali, Mount (Alaska)--Discovery and exploration--American--20th century Essayists, American--20th century Essayists, American--21st century Essays Explorers--Polar regions--20th century Newspaper clippings North Pole--Discovery and exploration--American--20th century Photographs Physicians--Arctic regions--20th century Cook-Peary race to the North Pole newspaper clippings 1 1 1909 "Finding the North Pole by Cook and Peary, Introduction by Admiral Melville" publishers prospectus 2 1 1909 Washburn (Bradford) Cook's final Mount McKinley campsite location photograph 1 2 1955 April Washburn (Bradford) "Mount McKinley: The Conquest of Denali" book dust jacket 1 3 1991 Cook Reconsidered: Discovering the Man and His Explorations symposium poster 1 4 1993 October 22-23 Washburn (Bradford) "Dr. Cook's 1906 McKinley Photography" essay, annotated map 1 3 1 1995 Washburn (Bradford) correspondence about Frederick A. Cook 2 2 1996-1998 Washburn (Bradford) "The Camera vs Doctor Cook: The Mountaineering Hoax of the 20th Century" 2 3 1997 January 20 Mount Barrille 1906 photograph reprint 3 2 1998 RV "Belgica" 1897-1898 photograph reprints, 1950s documentation photocopies 3 3 1998 Washburn (Bradford) "Three Routes Up McKinley comparison" 3 4 1998 June 26 Washburn (Bradford) "A List of References pertaining to the Cook/Mount McKinley Controversy" 2 4 1999 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "Frederick Albert Cook: Discoverer of the North Pole and 'The Noose of Laurels'" 2 5 1999 August 18 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "Where All Meridians Meet: The First Attainment of the North Pole: The Polar Journey of Frederick Albert Cook" 2 6 2002 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "Where All Meridians Meet Part III: Cook's Return From the Pole" 2 7 2003 Lankford (Kelly L.) "Home Only Long Enough: Arctic Explorer Robert E. Peary, American Science, Nationalism, and Philanthropy, 1886-1908" dissertation 2 8 2003 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "Frederick Albert Cook: Discoverer of the North Pole: The Historical and Scientific Evidence Has Confirmed His First Attainment of the North Pole on April 21, 1908" 2 9 2005 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) Correspondence to Cliff Bekkedahl including "Frederick Albert Cook: Discoverer of the North Pole: The Historical and Scientific Evidence" 3 5 2006 October 16 Cook-Peary race to the North Pole 1909 newspaper photocopies 3 6 2007 Library of Congress Frederick Albert Cook Papers (1881-1977) microfilm copies 4 2007 Existence and Location of Originals

The original Frederick Albert Cook Papers (1881-1977) are located in the Library of Congress's Manuscript Division. This item is a microfilm copy of that collection.

 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements (25) microfilms Hudsmith (Philip) "Dr. Cook's Journey" 2 10 2008 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "The Discovery of the North Pole By Frederick Albert Cook Has Been Confirmed and Established By the Verification of His Account of the Physical Conditions, the Physical Geography, at the North Pole and in the North Polar Region, the First Account of the Physical Conditions and Natural Phenomena at the North Pole and in the North Polar Region Given the World, Unknown Before His First Report, By Later Exploration and the Sciences of Oceanography, Glaciology, and Geography" 2 11 2008 July 8 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "The Testimony of the Polar Inuit Concerning the Arctic Sledge Journey of Frederick Albert Cook in 1908-1909 Corroborated and Confirmed His Immensely Long March North Over the Drifting Sea Ice of the Arctic ocean to the North Pole With His Inuit Companions, Ahwelah and Etukishook, in 1908 and His Attainment of the North Pole on April 21, 1908" 2 12 2008 April 8 Cook (Sheldon Shackelford Randolph) "Sextant, Speeds, and Drift: The Polar Journey of Frederick Albert Cook, The Discovery of the North Pole" 2 13 2009