William Alfred "Bill" Cook (born 1931) is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and historic preservationist who founded the medical equipment manufacturer Cook Group in 1963. He currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana and is one of America's wealthiest men.

Cook Group

Founded to make medical devices including guidewires catheter angiography at the request of Charles Dotter, Cook, Inc. grew into one of the world's largest manufacturers of medical equipment. Notable products included: The Gianturco-Roubin coronary stent - the first coronary stent approved for use in the USA. The first paclitaxel-coated drug-eluting stent, the Supra-G, tested in Asia, and the V-Flex, tested in Europe.

Historic Preservation

Cook and his wife Gayle have taken an interest in historic preservation projects as business ventures. The most notable project has been the restoration of the West Baden Springs Hotel in partnership with the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. This project led Cook to take on the development of the French Lick Resort Casino project in Orange County, Indiana. In June 2007, Historic Landmarks Foundation unveiled an award for outstanding individual contributions to historic preservation in Indiana to be called the "Cook Cup".

Star of Indiana Drum & Bugle Corps

Bill Cook also pioneered a distinctive and innovative drum & bugle corps known as the Star of Indiana.

External links

• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People
• Article on William Cook on Bloomingpedia

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