Giving it all Away : : the Story of William W. Cook & his Michigan Law Quadrangle

Locations
Call Number: 921 Cook, William, R 921 Cook, William
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	921 Cook, William	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor, Local History 0-week checkout	R 921 Cook, William	0-week checkout	Library Use Only

The 1931 lawsuit -- 1858-82 : Hillsdale childhood, student days in Ann Arbor -- 1882-98 : the ambitious young New York lawyer, the brilliant writer on corporate law, the wooer and husband of Ida Olmstead, the indispensable employee of John Mackay -- 1898-1910 : divorcing Ida, thriving at the Mackay companies, losing a boss and mentor, becoming a man of property, establishing enduring friendships, making philanthropic plans for the University of Michigan -- 1910-19 : rapport with President Hutchins, less rapport with Dean Bates, meeting Myrtle White, making Michigan commitments, honoring a revered mother, moving into an elegant Manhattan town house, a possible case of heartbreak, continuing a distinguished legal career -- John T. Creighton : trustee or toad? -- 1920-27 : a bad diagnosis, researching a new book, the opening of the lawyers club, Dean Bates's endless missteps, the final break with blooming grove, law quad politics bedevil the wise-hearted men at Michigan, Clarence Cook Little arrives in Ann Arbor -- 1928-30 : agonizing over the fate of Port Chester, President Little's appalling lapse, an exasperated Regent Murfin picks up his pen, Cook takes command and resolves to finish the law quad, a funeral is held in Port Chester, Trustee Creighton makes mischief -- 1931-35 : a whole lot of litigation, Creighton obfuscates and delays, Regent Murfin continues as hero, Myrtle White miraculously reappears, Ida's suit settles, Hutchins Hall opens, dedication day for the law quadrangle, the Port Chester lawsuit ends in Michigan's favor -- The fate of everyone else.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Table of Contents
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Extraordinary Book: highly recommended submitted by mleary on January 5, 2012, 11:38am 5.0 out of 5 stars An Extraordinary Book - highly recommended, December 2, 2011
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Ted Sherman - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Giving It All Away: The Story of William W. Cook and His Michigan Law Quadrangle (Paperback)
The book is very very well written and quite informative. It is very apparent that the author spent a number of years researching this topic. Five stars ++ for this wonderfully written and researched book.

Great editors are worth gold submitted by patricia alvis on October 3, 2017, 11:07am This important book deserved to be in the hands of a crack editor. It reads like research notes for a work in progress. The extensive research shows that it is a significant biography of a man who had a major role in making the UM Law School the top school it is, and housing it in a beautiful, inspiring building..More about the content of Cook's writings on corporate law and less about his unfortunate book on American institutions might offer a fuller picture of the man. In corporate law, it is suggested, he was a brilliant thinker; insocial philosophy, he passivel accepted the lore of his times. The book deserved a summarizing overview of all these elements as they relate to donorship and patronage.

While I express disappointment in the book, I acknowledge deep gratitude to Leary for her extensive gathering of details about a lengthy, precarious negotiation and the personalities involved.