Frederick A Cook

Frederick Albert Cook was born on June 10, 1865 in Hortonville, NY, the fifth of six children born to Theodor and Magdalena Koch (later changed to Cook). When Frederick was only 5, his father, a physician, died of pneumonia, leaving the family impoverished. Growing up poor, Frederick held various odd jobs while attending school. The family eventually moved to the Brooklyn area, where Frederick graduated from grammar school. 

Financial constraints kept him from going immediately to high school, and he began a printing business to raise money, while going to school at night. He also decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and go to medical school. In order to raise the tuition money, he sold his printing business and joined ranks with his brother Theodore to start a milk delivery business, which was very successful. 

In 1887, Cook entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, later transferring to New York University. He continued to support himself with the milk delivery business. Despite the grueling schedule of medical student and entrepreneur, he met and married Libby Forbes in 1889. Libby and Frederick were expecting their first child around the time that Cook sat for his medical exams.

Tragically, due to complications of the pregnancy, his baby was born dead, and his wife died a week later, in June 1890. Soon after, Frederick found out he had passed his medical exams. He sold his portion of the milk delivery business to Theodore and opened a medical office in Manhattan. But business was slow to take off, and he did not have many patients.“One morning there appeared in the New York Herald the news announcement that Lieutenant R.E. Peary was organizing an expedition to explore the unknown Northern Limits of Greenland. I promptly wrote Peary, offering my services…” ²And thus, Dr. Cook’s life would forever be changed.

 

² Hell is a Cold Place: chapter 1, page 9.