Frank Cook was the son of Frank Plant Cook, and was born on 6 November 1888 at Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire. He went to Bedford Modern School and Guy's Hospital Medical School, where he had a brilliant career as a student. Having obtained a university scholarship and research studentship in physiology, he, with two others, assisted Sir Arthur Hurst (then Dr Hertz) with his pioneer researches into the physiology of the alimentary tract, using for the first time radiological methods. After qualifica¬tion he held the usual house appointments at Guy's before joining the RAMC in August 1914, with which he saw service, mostly in France and in Mesopotamia. In 1917 he married Edith Harriette Wallace, whom he met while serving in France. For the last two years of the war he was a surgical specialist. On his return to civilian life in 1919 he was appointed surgical registrar at Guy's, and then obstetric and gynaecological registrar. He was made consultant obstetric surgeon and gynaecologist to that hospital in 1925, and soon afterwards was appointed to the consultant staff of the Chelsea Hospital for Women. While a registrar he held a Beit Fellowship, and investigated urinary secretion in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy toxaemia. He was twice elected a Hunterian Professor: in 1917 he lectured on gunshot wounds of joints, and in 1924 on the results of his work on urinary secretion. Cook was a fine clinician, a dexterous and careful operator, and a good, if unusual teacher; in particular his registrars learnt much from him, not only operative technique, but also how to be good doctors. He was immensely interested in people and behaviour. He maintained a great interest in physiology throughout his life, and was largely instrumental in founding the first departments of gynaecological endocrinology in this country at Guy's and the Chelsea Hospital for Women, with Dr P M F Bishop the first consultant to both hospitals. As an operator Cook showed the influence of Victor Bonney whom he greatly admired, but he had an early grasp of psychosomatic problems, which most British gynaecologists then lacked. He was not a prolific writer, but what he wrote was always lucid. He contributed to the "Ten Teachers" text-books on *Midwifery* and *Diseases of women* and at one time was editor of the latter. With the outbreak of the second world war in 1939 Frank Cook was soon back in the Army. After being evacuated from Greece and then Cyprus he spent his time in India, where he commanded the 60th General Hospital with the rank of Colonel; he made a most successful commanding officer. In 1945 he was demobilised and quickly returned to a busy life in civilian practice. He was elected to the Council of the RCOG in 1956, and became the first Honorary Consultant (Civilian) to Queen Alexandra's Hospital, Millbank in the same year. He served on various Boards of Governors and made a considerable contribution to the developing hospital service. In 1958, when he retired from the active staff of his hospitals, he became Dean of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Postgraduate Medical Federation, a post he filled admirably, since he had a real sense of friendship for the men and women from all over the world who attended as students. Cook was a very humble man, who never fully appreciated his own ability and influence. He was a Freeman of the Society of Apothecaries. He got much pleasure out of horse racing and as a young man enjoyed flying; both he and his wife obtained their pilot's certificates. He died on 25 February 1972 aged 84.