Lake Forest-Lake Bluff History Museum

Ed’s passion for music is evident in a feature in a 1938 issue of The Lake Forester as a student in a summer music course.

Chicago Tribune, April 6, 1993

Chicago Tribune, September 26, 1993

The home of America Bridgeman Sales, widow of early Lake Forest police officer Walker Sales, served as a landing place for both visiting and relocating relatives from the South. Joining her at 321 Granby in the 1920s from Tennessee was her nephew, Simon Cook, who worked as a postal clerk. Simon Cook’s son Edward was born in 1926; according to a 1993 newspaper interview, he was “basically raised” by America Sales. Edward “Ed” Cook (1926-1993) was very involved in the school life at Lake Forest High School, graduating in 1943. He was an incredible athlete, especially on the football team, of which he was made captain his senior year. He also won a boxing title in Lake County.

After graduation, Ed served in the United States Marine Corps, stationed in Guam in 1945. In a 1993 article for The Chicago Tribune, Ed recalled not often experiencing direct discrimination in Lake Forest, noting that his childhood bubble may have been “atypical.” He attended Fisk University, which his first time attending a school with Black teachers. Ed Cook had a 30-year career as a disc jockey and radio personality on WVON (1690 AM “The Voice of the Nation”) in Chicago. WVON, still a prominent radio station today, began as one of the first all-Black radio stations in the city. The format included a talk show and wide music selection. During the 1960s and 1970s, the station focused on rhythm and blues and also became heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement. As one of the station’s prime personalities, Ed also helped with fundraising efforts to benefit organizations such as the Urban League, Operation PUSH, and the NAACP. His radio persona, “Nassau Daddy”, stemmed from being rejected by casting directors for being light-skinned and not fitting what they thought Black people should be like. Cook’s wife, Bernadine Washington, also worked at WVON as the vice president and general manager. Additionally, she served as a founding member of the Chicago-based political activism and social justice group, Operation PUSH. Bernadine’s time with WVON featured her own talk show, “On the Scene with Bernadine,” where she discussed the latest fashion tips and civil rights and political issues. Ed and Bernadine both died in 1993.