By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
DOWAGIAC – Barb Cook remembers seeing her first computer in 1959 in Des Moines, Iowa, at an insurance company.
"It was housed in a huge, separate, air-conditioned building," she recalled Sunday. "It was serviced by white lab-coated technicians. Today, many people carry laptop computers that are infinitely more powerful than those of five decades ago."
She also remembers talk of the United States adopting the metric system.
"I was terrified," Cook admitted. "I did not want to learn to cook and sew using meters, liters and grams.
"However, I did take a computer programming class and soon I owned a desktop computer. I once dreaded typing and retyping research papers with carbon paper and erasers, only to reach the bottom of the page and find out I hadn't left enough room for footnotes. I would never have authored five books on my Royal typewriter.
"Although computers have improved our lives in innumerable ways," she said, "we must still be mindful that they cannot and will not solve all the challenges we face in life. Advanced computer skills will prepare people for myriad jobs and vocations. However, people still require social skills to get along with others, including family members, co-workers, customers and bosses.
"Computers are great at remembering things and performing countless calculations, but dedicated and motivated instructors can never be replaced.
"A four-year college education is not for everyone, and SMC must continue to provide education for people in all walks and stages of life."
Cook also put in a plug for young people to volunteer and to assume leadership positions in local government and organizations.
"The future is right around the corner," she said. "Each of you must think about giving something back to your community. Never has it been more important to work together as a team, a community and a nation. We cannot selfishly stand aside and expect someone else to do the job."
The Barbara Wood Building housing SMC's new Information Technology Center rededicated Sunday was initially named after her on Aug. 11, 1974.
Her vocational technical building housed nursing, agriculture, auto mechanics and machine tool programs.
"Nursing and auto mechanics continue to be offered on this campus in their own buildings," Cook said. "Machine tool and welding are now offered in our M-TEC facility on the Niles Area Campus. Computers and IT courses were later added to the curriculum and now they, too, have their own building, although computers will continue to be found in every building of our college campus. When (SMC) was founded in 1964, computers were not yet part of our daily lives. Only the federal government and a few large businesses were using them."
She and Chairman Dr. Fred L. Mathews are the only surviving members of the original six-member Board of Trustees.
She was just 26 when she became a trustee. "We worked hard, and I am very proud of what we created," Cook said.
She served as board secretary 26 years, from 1964 to her 1991 retirement. "For 43 years, I've been associated with Southwestern Michigan College and I certainly trust and hope that this institution will continue to serve education and cultural needs of this area for many, many generations to come."
Cook continued her association with SMC as an adjunct faculty member and an active member of The Museum at SMC advisory committee.
She chairs the Cass County Planning Commission, serves as secretary to the board of directors of the Old Rugged Cross Foundation, belongs to the Michigan Historical Society board of directors and is vice president of MEANDRS, which restored the Dowagiac River to its original channel at Arthur Dodd Memorial Park near Sumnerville.
Born and raised in Niles, Cook led by educational example, earning her master's degree from Western Michigan University to go with her bachelor's degree from Drake University and proceeding on to a 28-year career teaching business and coordinating co-op for the Brandywine school system.
She married Grafton Cook. They live in Pokagon Township, of which she is a former supervisor.
Chairman Mathews recalled the summer and fall of 1964 when he gave 44 speeches promoting a Cass County community college and a millage to support it. He met Cook at Frank Frucci's Niles restaurant through her sister, who attended one such meeting at Howard Township Hall.
"I did not know Barbara except by reputation," Mathews said. "She was a leader in the Goldwater wing of the Republican Party. This was a very influential group in Cass County at that time. Many of these people, however, were strong anti-tax. After strict cross-examination by Barbara, I knew she would support the goal and bring a lot of people with her once she was convinced this was going to be a politically neutral enterprise" despite a mix of liberals and conservatives on the board.
"Barbara decided to run for the first Board of Trustees. As Barb campaigned for a seat, she also campaigned for a positive vote on establishing a Cass County community college."
"The person we're honoring here today was indeed one of the pioneers of modern-day vo-tech education in Michigan," Mathews said. "Barbara Wood Cook made her debut on the education scene as a teacher in 1960. She was crusading at the state and local levels for vo-tech education even before the founding of SMC. We honor her not just for her early contributions to vo-tech education, but also for her long, distinguished service to this college during the formative years."