valedictorian honor of her class. This same year, Dr. E. S. Porter offered a gold medal to the best speller in the school. Accordingly a contest was held. The work was written, and a large uumber of picked students entered, and again Miss Cook triumphed. Immediately after, she took a silver medal, offered by Dr. D. A. Gaddie, for oral spelling. When the judges made the reports, the students were loud with applause, and made her the center of many demonstrations of rejoicing in her honor. But this was not all. Daring the same week she took a silver medal, offered by Mr. William H. Steward, for neatness and accuracy in penmanship. She was never beaten in a contest.
On her graduation, May 17, 1883, she was elected permanent teacher, and made principal of the normal department and professor of Latin and of mathematics. This position she still holds, embracing the largest department of the University. By special vote of the trustees she was permitted to keep up her studies in the college department, and at the end of four years she completed them. She was examined, and took the degree of A. B., May, 1887, with her class.
Miss Cook is a bright-faced, intelligent little woman,—what the French would call petite, and until recently did not weigh 100 pounds; but intellectually she weighs 1000. She is quite studious, and is deep in many subjects. She is especially fond of Latin, biography, and mental and moral philosophy. She has a wonderful influence over her pupils, and is much respected by her teachers. She gives heart and hand to every good cause. Her sympathies are quickly touched by the tale of want, and her pocket ever opens to the needs of her pupils. Every public charity gains her ear.
While not a member of the Berean Baptist church, she has labored with it, and in their University society she has been elected president, consecutively, from 1884 until the
