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News Release

Last modified: Thursday, April 15, 2010

Cook family to receive the IU Kelley School's William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2010

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Three of Indiana's most successful entrepreneurs -- Bill, Gayle and Carl Cook -- will be recognized Friday (April 16) for their entrepreneurial legacy and their philanthropic contributions during the third annual IU Entrepreneurial Connection Day at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

The Cooks will receive the William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award, which is bestowed upon Hoosiers who represent the very best in entrepreneurship. The award was developed in honor of Haeberle, a professor emeritus of management and entrepreneurship in the Kelley School of Business who has had an indelible impact on the Indiana entrepreneurial culture.

The Cooks will be presented with the award in the forum of the Godfrey Graduate and Executive Education Center, 1275 E. 10th St. The event will begin at 1 p.m.

The third annual IU Entrepreneurial Connection program, presented by the Kelley School's Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, is designed to recognize and celebrate Indiana's entrepreneurial community. Mark Albion, serial social entrepreneur, noted author and co-founder of Net Impact, will keynote the event.

Using the spare bedroom of Bill and Gayle Cook's apartment in 1963 as its first "factory" to build wire guides, needles and catheters, Cook Medical has grown into a $1.5 billion company with more than 10,000 employees globally. Sixty-two companies form Cook Group Inc. The firms manufacture cardiovascular diagnostic and interventional products, extruded and injection-molded plastics, stainless steel tubing, urological equipment, OB/GYN devices, and endoscopic instruments. In addition, other corporations are involved in real estate, travel and aircraft service.

The Cook family also is known for their philanthropic efforts in Bloomington and throughout Indiana. They have been instrumental in the restoration and re-use of many historic buildings in Southern Indiana, including more than 40 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. To aid the advancement of education and medical research, the Cooks have provided significant financial support to universities, hospitals and physicians throughout the country.

"It is our honor to be able to recognize the Cook family in this special way. One would be hard pressed to find a better example of the power of the entrepreneurial spirit than what we have with Bill, Gayle and Carl," said Dan Smith, dean of the Kelley School. "Through their hard work and innovation, they have employed thousands of people, have saved countless lives, and, through their philanthropy and community support, have profoundly improved the quality of life for all of us who call Indiana our home. The Cook family stands out as the role model of how business changes the world for the better."

"The Cook family stands as a testament to the incredible power of entrepreneurship, " added Donald F. Kuratko, the Jack M. Gill Chair of Entrepreneurship and executive director of the Johnson Center or Entrepreneurship and Innovation. "Their entrepreneurial success translated into a philanthropic philosophy that made a huge impact on the state of Indiana. They are, indeed, an entrepreneurial legacy."

For more information about the IU Entrepreneurial Connection Day, call 812-855-4248 or visit www.kelley.iu.edu/jcei.

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