Linda Rae

Linda Rae established the James E. Cook Scholarship in 1994 in memory of her husband, Jim Cook, who served as Director of the Reeve Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh from 1976 until his death in 1993. The scholarship honors Jim’s commitment to the University and Reeve Union by recognizing a student who exhibits strong leadership abilities and a commitment to advancing the mission of the union.

Jim began at UW Oshkosh as operations manager of Reeve Memorial Union in 1968. He was appointed assistant director of operations in 1971 and associate director in 1972. Before coming to UW Oshkosh, Jim served as the club services manager at UW-Madison. He graduated with honors from UW-Madison in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in recreational administration.

Jim strongly believed that a student union, in order to be a vital and contributing asset to the University, must be creative in its programming, responsible in its administration, and committed to an ongoing role as an active member of the University community. He believed the Union’s greatest asset is its students.