A Tribute to Willis Cook

Willis Cook, co-founder of the Ohio Valley Camera Club in 1958, passed away November 17, 2008. The Club would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his family and honor his love of photography.

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The following Huntington Quarterly article was posted with permission. Original article may be found at: http://www.huntingtonquarterly.com/articles/issue53/willis_cook.html

Meet local legend Willis Cook whose striking black and white photography has earned him the title:

“The Ansel Adams of Huntington.”
Article by Susan Hahn

While readers of Huntington Quarterly might not recognize the name Willis Cook, they have seen his photography on the cover and throughout the magazine from the time the publisher discovered his body of work 13 years ago.
Cook’s striking black and white photos of Huntington transcend the years capturing the essence of the city and its defining influences.
Cook prefers to work in black and white because it allows more creativity. “Everything you do is your own work. A lot of magic happens in the dark room,” says Cook.
Many of Cook’s nature photographs of Ritter Park are reminiscent of Ansel Adams’ work, winning him the moniker, “The Ansel Adams of Huntington.” It is understandable since Cook cites Adams as an inspiration.

Cook’s patience in capturing nature’s details, the juxtaposition of form and texture revealed through light and shadow in a continual changing environment, creates elemental, personal interpretations of his subjects. In many of his photographs of the buildings in Huntington, Cook’s use of light and shadow yields an abstract, intrinsic rendition that is distinct. He logs countless hours in the dark room to yield the desired image.
Cook was born in Wyoming County and has lived in West Virginia most of his life with some notable detours. When he graduated from high school, he enlisted in the Navy becoming a Chief Petty Officer and served until the end of World War II.
When the war was over, he took a job at the Veterans Administration in Huntington and after a short stint, Cook was transferred to Logan to handle veteran affairs.
Cook met his wife Dee in Logan – they worked in the same office building. They married in 1946, and a year later they moved to Santa Barbara, Ca. so Cook could study at the Brooks Institute of Photography. He graduated with a major in illustration and advertising. Within a short span of time, these two events set Cook’s life on a path of happiness.

The Cook’s knew they would return to Huntington eventually. In 1951 they returned when Cook was offered the opportunity to be the first director of art and photography for WSAZ-TV. He helped produce the station’s first television commercials, gaining expertise with Swiss Bolex cameras, one of the first movie cameras. Cook also became known for his quick development methods enabling news film to be on the air in just a half hour or less.
In 1957 Cook accepted a job with the C&O Railway as the Manager for Public Relations in the company’s Southern Region.
As the company grew, Cook advanced in his job. In 1971 he was transferred to Washington, D.C. to serve as a liaison for the railroad with the media. In 1979, he returned to Huntington when he was promoted to Director of Public Relations for CSX.

During his years with the railroad, he continued to hone his photography skills. Not only did he provide many of the photos for the company’s annual report, his portraits of the board of directors were exceptional. The results were so good that the people in the public relations department in Cleveland called him “The Hillbilly Karsh.” Karsh of Ottawa was famous for his portraits of world leaders, artists, scientists and royalty including Churchill, JFK, Einstein, Ali, and Picasso to name a few. While his job kept him busy, Cook found time to do portraits of children in the community.
Cook always has been very involved in the community. He set up the photography department for the Huntington Museum of Art and taught the first photography classes. He also founded the Ohio Valley Camera Club and served as the organization’s first president. He was instrumental in bringing the Boys and Girls Club to Huntington and served on the first Board of Directors.

Cook retired in 1983 from CSX. He and his wife continue to be active in the community, involved in Enslow Park Presbyterian Church and many community organizations. Their son, Kevin, is an engineer with the Navy Department in Washington D.C., specializing in nuclear submarines and his wife is a nurse supervisor. The Cooks have two granddaughters, Jane, 15, and Christine, age 13.
Speaking about his continuing infatuation with the city he says, “Of course it has evolved structurally but there is a feeling about Huntington that I don’t think you can find in any other small city in America. It’s just a real fine place to be.”

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WILLIS W. COOK, beloved husband, father and grandfather, died at The Woodlands on Monday, November 17, 2008. He is survived by his wife Dolores (Dee); son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Lisa of Rockville, Md.; granddaughters Jane and Christine; sisters-in-law Kathy Cook, Gabrielle Cook, Avey Lanaris and Billy Robinson and several nieces and nephews. Mr. Cook was preceded in death by his parents, Neal and Augusta Cook, and siblings Nellie, Raymond and James. He was an alumnus of Marshall University and Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, Calif. Willis served in the U.S. Navy from 1935 to 1945 in the North Atlantic and the South Pacific (Guam). He is a life member of USS Saratoga CV3 Alumni and NAMRU II (Navy Medical Research Unit II). Before joining the C&O Public Relations and Advertising Department, he served as the first Director of Photography at WSAZ-TV. He is listed in Who's Who in Railroading and retired as Director of Public Relations for CSX Railway in 1983. Willis chaired the Steering Committee that brought the Boys & Girls Clubs to Huntington, and served as vice-chair on the first Board of Directors. He also served on the Board of Cammack Children's Center. He was a Kentucky Colonel and at various times claimed membership in WV Press Association, Huntington Kiwanis, National Press Club in Washington, D.C., The Center Club in Baltimore, Md., Ohio Valley Camera Club and the Huntington Museum of Art, where he was recently honored with a reception and installation of a plaque in recognition of his contributions to the Museum. Willis served as deacon and elder in Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church, Gaithersburg, Md., and at Enslow Park Presbyterian Church, Huntington, where he was elected Elder Emeritus in 2003. Willis was well-known for his black and white photography, held several one-man exhibits at various art museums, published several "how to" articles in magazines and trade journals, and was affectionately dubbed by his colleagues "the Ansel Adams of Huntington." A memorial service will be conducted by Rev. Jim Fisher at Enslow Park Presbyterian Church, 1338 Enslow Blvd., at 2 p.m. Saturday, November 22, 2008. Following the service, friends are invited to visit with the family in the church parlor. Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Enslow Park Presbyterian Memorial Fund, the Huntington Museum of Art or Cammack Children's Center. The family thanks the staff at Woodlands HealthCare and Hospice for their kind and gentle care of Willis. Family guestbook at www.klingelcarpenter.com.

http://news.herald-dispatch.com/obituaries/index.php?id=36871750

The club would like to recognize the Tri State Arts Associations for its promotion of artists in the area.

Support OVCC Fundraising by using the links below for your photography needs. The more purchases made using these links the more money the club earns from the vendors!

The club would like to recognize the Huntington Museum of Art for their continued support of our camera club by providing us a great meeting location in their studios.