Charles Montague Cooke
Encyclopedia
Charles Montague Cooke (1849–1909) was a businessman during the Kingdom of Hawaii
, Republic of Hawaii
and Territory of Hawaii
.
. His father was Amos Starr Cooke
co-founder of Castle & Cooke
. His mother Juliette Montague Cooke was the teacher of future leaders of the Kingdom of Hawaii
at the Royal School.
He was educated at Punahou School
and Amherst Agricultural College
. In 1871 Cooke worked as a clerk for his father's firm. He moved up to head bookkeeper.
Castle & Cooke was one of the "Big Five
" corporations that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii
.
He married Anna Charlotte Rice
(1853–1934) on April 30, 1874. In 1877 he became business partners with Joshua G. Dickson and Robert Lewers importing lumber and hardware. After Dickson died in July 1880, the firm became Lewers & Cooke.
He was an investor in several sugar plantations in Hawaii
, which became more profitable after the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
removed tariff
s.
On January 18, 1893, immediately after the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, he was appointed to an advisory council for the Provisional Government of Hawaii
. On February 1 he was sent as a representative to Washington, DC in an unsuccessful attempt to have the United States
annex the islands.
He was a founder in 1893 of the Bank of Hawaii
with Peter Cushman Jones
and Joseph Ballard Atherton (his brother-in-law).
He moved to California
expecting to retire in 1894, but returned and became Bank of Hawaii president in September 1898 after the death of Jones. In 1899 he also became president of C. Brewer & Co.
, another of the Big Five. Bernice Pauahi Bishop
appointed him as one of the first trustees of the Kamehameha Schools
, known then as the Bishop Estate. He served on its board from 1884 to 1897.
In 1904 he founded the Waikiki Aquarium
, and in 1909 donated funds for the library at Punahou School. He kept his businesses intact through the Panic of 1907
.
Their children were:
He died August 27, 1909 after a second stroke
. Most of the family is buried at the Mission Houses Cemetery near Kawaiahaʻo Church.
A house he had built on Thomas Square
in 1882 became the Honolulu Academy of Arts
. Anna Rice Cooke also left 4500 pieces of artwork they had collected to the academy.
His estate was incorporated as Charles M. Cooke, Ltd. in 1898, and dissolved and distributed to 58 shareholders in 1942. Some of the assets became the Charles M. and Anna C. Cooke Trust, which became a charitable foundation in 1971. In 1980, it became the Cooke Foundation. The Hawaii Community Foundation continues to administer grants.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
, Republic of Hawaii
Republic of Hawaii
The Republic of Hawaii was the formal name of the government that controlled Hawaii from 1894 to 1898 when it was run as a republic. The republic period occurred between the administration of the Provisional Government of Hawaii which ended on July 4, 1894 and the adoption of the Newlands...
and Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
.
Life
Charles Montague Cooke was born May 6, 1849 in Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
. His father was Amos Starr Cooke
Amos Starr Cooke
Amos Starr Cooke was an educator and businessman in the Kingdom of Hawaii. He was patriarch of a family that influenced Hawaii during the 20th century.-Life:Amos Starr Cooke was born in Danbury, Connecticut, December 1, 1810....
co-founder of Castle & Cooke
Castle & Cooke
Castle & Cooke, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company at one time did most of its business in agriculture...
. His mother Juliette Montague Cooke was the teacher of future leaders of the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
at the Royal School.
He was educated at Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
and Amherst Agricultural College
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. In 1871 Cooke worked as a clerk for his father's firm. He moved up to head bookkeeper.
Castle & Cooke was one of the "Big Five
Big Five (Hawaii)
The Big Five was the name given to a group of what started as sugarcane processing corporations that wielded considerable political power in the Territory of Hawaii during the early 20th century and leaned heavily towards the Hawaii Republican Party. The Big Five were Castle & Cooke, Alexander &...
" corporations that dominated the economy of the Territory of Hawaii
Territory of Hawaii
The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 7, 1898, until August 21, 1959, when its territory, with the exception of Johnston Atoll, was admitted to the Union as the fiftieth U.S. state, the State of Hawaii.The U.S...
.
He married Anna Charlotte Rice
Anna Rice Cooke
Anna Rice Cooke was a patron of the arts and the founder of the Honolulu Academy of Arts.-Biography:Anna Charlotte Rice was born on September 5, 1853 into a prominent missionary family on Oahu, Hawaii. Her father was teacher William Harrison Rice , and her mother was Mary Sophia Hyde. Anna grew...
(1853–1934) on April 30, 1874. In 1877 he became business partners with Joshua G. Dickson and Robert Lewers importing lumber and hardware. After Dickson died in July 1880, the firm became Lewers & Cooke.
He was an investor in several sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugar plantations in Hawaii
Sugarcane was introduced to Hawaii by its first inhabitants in approximately 600 AD and was observed by Captain Cook upon arrival in the islands in 1778. Sugar quickly turned into a big business and generated rapid population growth in the islands with 337,000 people immigrating over the span of a...
, which became more profitable after the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
The Treaty of reciprocity between the United States of America and the Hawaiian Kingdom was a free trade agreement signed and ratified in 1875 that is generally known as the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875....
removed tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s.
On January 18, 1893, immediately after the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii, he was appointed to an advisory council for the Provisional Government of Hawaii
Provisional Government of Hawaii
The Provisional Government of Hawaii abbreviated "P.G." was proclaimed on January 17, 1893 by the 13 member Committee of Safety under the leadership of Sanford B. Dole...
. On February 1 he was sent as a representative to Washington, DC in an unsuccessful attempt to have the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
annex the islands.
He was a founder in 1893 of the Bank of Hawaii
Bank of Hawaii
The Bank of Hawaii Corporation is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is Hawaii's second oldest bank and its largest locally owned bank in that majority of the voting stockholders reside within the state...
with Peter Cushman Jones
Peter Cushman Jones
Peter Cushman Jones was a businessman and politician during the Kingdom of Hawaii, Provisional Government of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii and Territory of Hawaii.He founded the second bank in the Hawaiian Islands.-Early life:...
and Joseph Ballard Atherton (his brother-in-law).
He moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
expecting to retire in 1894, but returned and became Bank of Hawaii president in September 1898 after the death of Jones. In 1899 he also became president of C. Brewer & Co.
C. Brewer & Co.
C. Brewer & Co., Ltd. was a Honolulu-based company that was once part of the Big Five companies in territorial Hawaii. The company did most of its business in agriculture....
, another of the Big Five. Bernice Pauahi Bishop
Bernice Pauahi Bishop
Bernice Pauahi Bishop , born Bernice Pauahi Pākī, was a Hawaiian princess, philanthropist, alii, and direct descendant of the royal House of Kamehameha. She was the great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha I and last surviving heir...
appointed him as one of the first trustees of the Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...
, known then as the Bishop Estate. He served on its board from 1884 to 1897.
In 1904 he founded the Waikiki Aquarium
Waikiki Aquarium
]The Waikiki Aquarium is a marine science institution in the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii. Founded in 1904, this marine aquarium is the third oldest public aquarium in the United States...
, and in 1909 donated funds for the library at Punahou School. He kept his businesses intact through the Panic of 1907
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic, was a financial crisis that occurred in the United States when the New York Stock Exchange fell almost 50% from its peak the previous year. Panic occurred, as this was during a time of economic recession, and there were numerous runs on...
.
Their children were:
- Charles Montague Cooke, Jr. was born December 20, 1874, became a scientist, and died October 29, 1948.
- Clarence Hyde CookeClarence Hyde Cooke-Life:Clarence Cooke was born April 17, 1876 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was the second son of Charles Montague Cooke and Anna Rice Cooke, and grandson of New England Congregational missionaries to Hawaii Amos Starr Cooke and William Harrison Rice, and thus partial heir to the fortune of Castle &...
(1876–1944) took over as president of the Bank of Hawaii. - William Harrison Rice Cooke (namesake of his father-in-law William Harrison RiceWilliam Harrison RiceWilliam Harrison Rice was a missionary teacher from the United States who traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and managed an early sugar plantation.-Life:...
) was born in 1878 but died young in 1880. - George Paul Cooke was born December 2, 1881, married Sophie Boyd Judd (1883–1966), granddaughter of missionary Gerrit P. JuddGerrit P. JuddGerrit Parmele Judd was an American physician and missionary to the Kingdom of Hawaii who later became a trusted advisor and cabinet minister to King Kamehameha III.- Life :...
, they had eight children, one of their sons was musician Francis Judd CookeFrancis Judd CookeFrancis Judd Cooke was an American composer, organist, cellist, pianist, conductor, choir director, and professor.-Life:...
(1910–1995). He died in 1960. Their great-grandson was baseball player Steve CookeSteve CookeSteven Cooke is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1992–1994 and 1996-1998. He was named as the LHP in the Topps All-Star Rookie Team in 1993.-Life:...
(Stephen Montague Cooke III). - Richard Alexander Cooke was born January 24, 1884, married Dagmar Sorenseon in 1907, was executive at Bank of Hawaii and C. Brewer, and died in 1941. Their daughter-in-law Lorraine (Day) Cooke founded La Pietra school for girls.
- Alice Theodora Cooke (1887–1968) married Philip Edmunds Spalding (1889–1968), for whom a building is named at the University of Hawaii at ManoaUniversity of Hawaii at ManoaThe University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
. Their home is now the Contemporary MuseumThe Contemporary Museum, HonoluluThe now defunct Contemporary Museum, Honolulu was the only museum in the state of Hawaii devoted exclusively to contemporary art. The Contemporary Museum had two venues: in residential Honolulu at the historic Spalding House, and downtown Honolulu at First Hawaiian Center.-Collection:Artists...
. - Theodore Atherton Cooke (1891–1973) married Muriel Elizabeth Howatt (1891–1969).
- Dorothea Cooke (twin of Theodore) was born August 23, 1891 but died young February 26, 1892.
He died August 27, 1909 after a second stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Most of the family is buried at the Mission Houses Cemetery near Kawaiahaʻo Church.
A house he had built on Thomas Square
Thomas Square
Thomas Square is a park in Honolulu, Hawaii named for Admiral Richard Darton Thomas.-Hawaii:In February 1843 Lord George Paulet on seized and occupied the Kingdom of Hawaii, establishing the Provisional Cession of the Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands....
in 1882 became the Honolulu Academy of Arts
Honolulu Academy of Arts
The Honolulu Academy of Arts is an art museum in Honolulu in the state of Hawaii. Since its founding in 1922 by Anna Rice Cooke and opening April 8, 1927, its collections have grown to over 40,000 works of art.-Description:...
. Anna Rice Cooke also left 4500 pieces of artwork they had collected to the academy.
His estate was incorporated as Charles M. Cooke, Ltd. in 1898, and dissolved and distributed to 58 shareholders in 1942. Some of the assets became the Charles M. and Anna C. Cooke Trust, which became a charitable foundation in 1971. In 1980, it became the Cooke Foundation. The Hawaii Community Foundation continues to administer grants.