William Cook

Although a graduate of Northwestern University, Bill Cook developed an attachment to Indiana University (IU), located in his adopted hometown of Bloomington. Cook and his wife, Gayle, were ardent supporters of IU's Jacobs School of Music and the school's renowned music library is named in their honor. In 1996, the Cooks designated a $1 million gift to honor IU Foundation President Bill Armstrong and his wife, Martha Lea; this gift was used to fund the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators, which allows a group of Indiana public school teachers to advance their professional development by working with IU faculty and education students. In 2010, IU's Kelley School of Business presented the Cooks with the William L. Haeberle Entrepreneurial Legacy Award, which the school bestows upon "...Hoosiers who represent the very best in entrepreneurship." The Cook Group donated $15 million to IU Athletics, which was primarily used for the enhancement of the basketball development center, named "Cook Hall" at its dedication in 2010. Over the years and for many purposes, the Cooks donated more than $45 million to the university, which Bill Cook also served as a trustee from 1995 to 1998.

Bill Cook was the richest man in the state of Indiana. In 2008, he was worth around $5 billion, according to the Forbes 400. In September 2010, Cook was ranked No. 101 on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans. His wealth was estimated at $3.1 billion.