Fred J. Cook
Encyclopedia
Fred James Cook was an investigative journalist
whose prime years of reporting spanned from the 1950s to the late 1970s. His 1964 exposé, The FBI Nobody Knows, was central to the plot of one of Rex Stout
's most popular Nero Wolfe
novels, The Doorbell Rang
(1965).
, and grew up in a house on Bay Avenue near the border with Bay Head. On his mother’s side, he was descended from an old New Jersey family, the Comptons. He graduated from Rutgers University
in 1932.
Cook began his career in journalism at the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey
. He later wrote for the New York newspaper, the World-Telegram, focusing on crime reporting. He uncovered the confession of John Francis Roche in the murder case of Navy sailer Edward S. Bates, which freed Paul A. Pfeffer, who had been convicted of the murder.
While editor of the weekly New Jersey Courier in Lakewood, New Jersey, he covered the 1937 Hindenburg disaster
. Having witnessed the airship
flying overhead at Toms River, New Jersey
, he first wrote about its anticipated safe arrival at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, then had to quickly rewrite the story after getting to the crash site while the ship was still in flames. A few hundred copies of the earlier edition, with the wrong story, were already on their way to news stands, "so I knew I had to collar them and get them back," Cook said.
Though conservative in many respects, Cook wrote a number of articles for The Nation
magazine, together with his longtime World-Telegram collaborator, Gene Gleason, and took positions usually identified with the left. For instance, he opposed the death penalty, taking the position that it was cruel and didn't deter crime. He was also highly critical of the FBI, the CIA, and the Alger Hiss
perjury conviction, as well as oil companies and defense contractors. His writing made him the target of FBI investigations against him.
Cook's 1964 book, Goldwater: Extremist on the Right, initiated a series of events which in the end led to the Supreme Court decision in what is known as the Red Lion case
: After the book appeared, Cook was attacked by conservative evangelist Billy James Hargis
on his daily Christian Crusade radio broadcast, on WGCB
in Red Lion, Pennsylvania
. Cook sued, arguing that under the FCC's Fairness Doctrine
he was entitled to free air time to respond to the attack. Red Lion Broadcasting challenged the constitutionality of the doctrine, and the case went to the Supreme Court in 1969, with the Court ruling unanimously that the Fairness Doctrine was constitutional.
In 1968, Cook signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
's TV show, 'Open End', during which Gleason claimed a high-ranking New York City official had offered him a $100 a week bribe to stop investigating the city's slum-clearance program back in 1956. But when Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan
hauled him in for questioning, Gleason was forced to admit he had made the whole story up, "because I was exuberant and carried away." At that point, the World-Telegram fired him. Cook followed after first claiming that he'd reported the alleged bribe attempt to his superiors, then saying he'd only casually mentioned it to the city editor during a casual lunch conversation. When the editor insisted that Cook had never mentioned such an attempt, Cook was also fired.
asked Cook to write an article about the perjury case of Alger Hiss
. Cook did not want to do the article, thinking Hiss was "guilty as hell." After two more requests by McWilliams for Cook to do the article, McWilliams said, "Look, I have a proposition to make you. I know how you feel about the case, but I've talked to a lot of people who I trust. They say if anybody looked hard at the evidence they'd have a different opinion. You're known as a fact man. Will you do this for me? No obligation. Will you at least look at the facts?" Cook decided that, as a good journalist, he was obligated to look at the facts and see where they took him.
The September 21, 1957 issue of The Nation was dedicated entirely to Cook's investigation of the Hiss case, which was called, "Hiss: New Perspectives on the Strangest Case of our Time." In the article Cook wrote for The Nation, he ultimately was of the opinion that Hiss was not guilty of the accusations made by Whittaker Chambers
who accused Hiss of being a Soviet spy while working for the State Department.
Cook expanded on the article and wrote a book called, The Unfinished Story of Alger Hiss (Morrow, 1957). Cook continued to believe Hiss was innocent up to his death.
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
whose prime years of reporting spanned from the 1950s to the late 1970s. His 1964 exposé, The FBI Nobody Knows, was central to the plot of one of Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
's most popular Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe
Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective, created in 1934 by the American mystery writer Rex Stout. Wolfe's confidential assistant Archie Goodwin narrates the cases of the detective genius. Stout wrote 33 novels and 39 short stories from 1934 to 1974, with most of them set in New York City. Wolfe's...
novels, The Doorbell Rang
The Doorbell Rang
The Doorbell Rang is a Nero Wolfe detective novel by Rex Stout, first published by the Viking Press in 1965.-Plot introduction:Nero Wolfe is hired to force the FBI to stop wiretapping, tailing and otherwise harassing a woman who gave away 10,000 copies of a book that is critical of the Bureau and...
(1965).
Career
Cook was born in Point Pleasant, New JerseyPoint Pleasant, New Jersey
Point Pleasant is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,392...
, and grew up in a house on Bay Avenue near the border with Bay Head. On his mother’s side, he was descended from an old New Jersey family, the Comptons. He graduated from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1932.
Cook began his career in journalism at the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He later wrote for the New York newspaper, the World-Telegram, focusing on crime reporting. He uncovered the confession of John Francis Roche in the murder case of Navy sailer Edward S. Bates, which freed Paul A. Pfeffer, who had been convicted of the murder.
While editor of the weekly New Jersey Courier in Lakewood, New Jersey, he covered the 1937 Hindenburg disaster
Hindenburg disaster
The Hindenburg disaster took place on Thursday, May 6, 1937, as the German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, which is located adjacent to the borough of Lakehurst, New Jersey...
. Having witnessed the airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
flying overhead at Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
, he first wrote about its anticipated safe arrival at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, then had to quickly rewrite the story after getting to the crash site while the ship was still in flames. A few hundred copies of the earlier edition, with the wrong story, were already on their way to news stands, "so I knew I had to collar them and get them back," Cook said.
Though conservative in many respects, Cook wrote a number of articles for The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
magazine, together with his longtime World-Telegram collaborator, Gene Gleason, and took positions usually identified with the left. For instance, he opposed the death penalty, taking the position that it was cruel and didn't deter crime. He was also highly critical of the FBI, the CIA, and the Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official...
perjury conviction, as well as oil companies and defense contractors. His writing made him the target of FBI investigations against him.
Cook's 1964 book, Goldwater: Extremist on the Right, initiated a series of events which in the end led to the Supreme Court decision in what is known as the Red Lion case
Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission
Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission, 395 U.S. 367 , established the doctrine that broadcast television stations are full First Amendment speakers whose editorial speech could not be regulated absent good reason...
: After the book appeared, Cook was attacked by conservative evangelist Billy James Hargis
Billy James Hargis
Billy James Hargis was a fundamentalist Protestant Christian evangelist. At the height of his popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, his Christian Crusade ministry was broadcast on more than 500 radio stations and 250 television stations...
on his daily Christian Crusade radio broadcast, on WGCB
WGLD
WGLD is a radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format. Licensed to Red Lion, Pennsylvania, USA. The station is currently owned by Susquehanna License Co., LLC and is currently broadcasting ESPN.-History:...
in Red Lion, Pennsylvania
Red Lion, Pennsylvania
Red Lion is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, settled in 1852 and incorporated on January 16, 1880. The population was 6,373 at the 2010 census.-History:Red Lion, settled in 1852, was named after one of the first pubs in town, the Red Lion Tavern....
. Cook sued, arguing that under the FCC's Fairness Doctrine
Fairness Doctrine
The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the United States Federal Communications Commission , introduced in 1949, that required the holders of broadcast licenses to both present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was, in the Commission's view, honest, equitable...
he was entitled to free air time to respond to the attack. Red Lion Broadcasting challenged the constitutionality of the doctrine, and the case went to the Supreme Court in 1969, with the Court ruling unanimously that the Fairness Doctrine was constitutional.
In 1968, Cook signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
Scandal
Though both he and Gleason were widely touted as an investigative news team, both mean were fired by the World-Telegram in 1959 after writing an issue-length expose, 'The Shame of New York', for The Nation. After the piece was published, Cook and Gleason appeared on David SusskindDavid Susskind
David Susskind was a producer of TV, movies, and stage plays and also a pioneer TV talk show host.-Personal:...
's TV show, 'Open End', during which Gleason claimed a high-ranking New York City official had offered him a $100 a week bribe to stop investigating the city's slum-clearance program back in 1956. But when Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan
Frank Hogan
Frank Smithwick Hogan was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" due to his perceived honesty and incorruptibility, he was D.A. of New York County for more than 30 years.-Life and career:...
hauled him in for questioning, Gleason was forced to admit he had made the whole story up, "because I was exuberant and carried away." At that point, the World-Telegram fired him. Cook followed after first claiming that he'd reported the alleged bribe attempt to his superiors, then saying he'd only casually mentioned it to the city editor during a casual lunch conversation. When the editor insisted that Cook had never mentioned such an attempt, Cook was also fired.
Cook and the Hiss case
Cook had written four articles for The Nation by the time then editor Carey McWilliamsCarey McWilliams (journalist)
Carey McWilliams was an American author, editor, and lawyer. He is best known for his writings about social issues in California, including the condition of migrant farm workers and the internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II...
asked Cook to write an article about the perjury case of Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss
Alger Hiss was an American lawyer, government official, author, and lecturer. He was involved in the establishment of the United Nations both as a U.S. State Department and U.N. official...
. Cook did not want to do the article, thinking Hiss was "guilty as hell." After two more requests by McWilliams for Cook to do the article, McWilliams said, "Look, I have a proposition to make you. I know how you feel about the case, but I've talked to a lot of people who I trust. They say if anybody looked hard at the evidence they'd have a different opinion. You're known as a fact man. Will you do this for me? No obligation. Will you at least look at the facts?" Cook decided that, as a good journalist, he was obligated to look at the facts and see where they took him.
The September 21, 1957 issue of The Nation was dedicated entirely to Cook's investigation of the Hiss case, which was called, "Hiss: New Perspectives on the Strangest Case of our Time." In the article Cook wrote for The Nation, he ultimately was of the opinion that Hiss was not guilty of the accusations made by Whittaker Chambers
Whittaker Chambers
Whittaker Chambers was born Jay Vivian Chambers and also known as David Whittaker Chambers , was an American writer and editor. After being a Communist Party USA member and Soviet spy, he later renounced communism and became an outspoken opponent later testifying in the perjury and espionage trial...
who accused Hiss of being a Soviet spy while working for the State Department.
Cook expanded on the article and wrote a book called, The Unfinished Story of Alger Hiss (Morrow, 1957). Cook continued to believe Hiss was innocent up to his death.
Works
This is an incomplete list that doesn’t include all the nonfiction written for children and young adults, his fiction and his works published in magazines.- ”The Unfinished Story of Alger Hiss”, Morrow, 1958.
- "The Warfare State," Macmillan, 1962.
- ”What Manner of Men: Forgotten Heroes of the Revolution”, Morrow, 1959.
- "Rallying a Free People: Theodore Roosevelt", Kingston House, 1961.
- ”The FBI Nobody Knows”, Macmillan, 1964.
- ”Barry Goldwater: Extremist of the Right", Grove, 1964.
- ”The Corrupted Land: The Social Morality of Modern Americans”, Macmillan, 1966.
- ”The Secret Rulers: Criminal Syndicates and How They Control the U.S. Underworld”, Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1966.
- ”The Plot against the Patient”, Prentice-Hall, 1967.
- ”What So Proudly We Hailed”, Prentice-Hall, 1968.
- ”The Nightmare Decade: The Life and Times of Senator Joe McCarthy”, Random House, 1971.
- ”The Army-McCarthy Hearings, April-June, 1954: A Senator Creates a Sensation Hunting Communists”, Franklin Watts, 1971.
- ”The Rise of American Political Parties”, Franklin Watts, 1971.
- ”The Cuban Missile Crisis, October, 1962: The U.S. and Russia Face a Nuclear Showdown”, Franklin Watts, 1972.
- ”The Muckrakers: Crusading Journalists Who Changed America”, Doubleday, 1972.
- ”The U-2 Incident, May, 1960: An American Spy Plane Downed over Russia Intensifies the Cold War”, Franklin Watts, 1973.
- ”Dawn over Saratoga: The Turning Point of the Revolutionary War”, Doubleday, 1973.
- ”Mafia”, Fawcett, 1973.
- ”American Political Bosses and Machines”, Franklin Watts, 1973.
- ”The Pinkertons”, Doubleday, 1974.
- ”Lobbying in American Politics”, Franklin Watts, 1976.
- ”Privateers of `76", illustrated by William L. Verrill, Jr., Bobbs-Merrill, 1976.
- ”Julia's Story: The Tragedy of an Unnecessary Death”, Holt, 1976.
- ”Mob, Inc.”, Franklin Watts, 1977.
- ”The Ku Klux Klan: America's Recurring Nightmare”, Messner, 1980.
- ”The Crimes of Watergate”, Franklin Watts, 1981.
- ”The Great Energy Scam: Private Billions vs. Public Good”, Macmillan, 1982.
- ”Maverick: Fifty Years of Investigative Reporting” (autobiography), introduction by Studs Terkel, Putnam, 1984.
External links
- Obituary in The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, May 4, 2003 - Obituary in The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, May 9, 2003