Margaret A. Leary will discuss William W. Cook (1858-1930), a graduate of the University of Michigan and its law school, who not only gave his alma mater the finest physical facility of any existing law school but also donated permanent resources that would permit the law school to engage in groundbreaking legal research. Margaret A. Leary places Cook's story in the rich social and cultural context of his time and paints a fascinating portrait of a complex figure whose legacy continues to shape the University of Michigan.