George William Cooke, 6 January 1916 — 10 February 1992

GEORGE COOKE joined the Chemistry Department of Rothamsted Experimental Station in 1938. He became head of that Department in 1956, and was also a deputy director of the Station from 1962 and acting director during 1972-3. In 1975 he moved to the London headquarters of the Agricultural Research Council as Chief Scientific Officer. After he retired in 1981, he continued his work from a base at Rothamsted until 1989. His career covered half a century of vast change in agriculture, in Britain and in the world, in which he was a significant leader .