Doctor, mother, colonel, benefactor
Walking down a Washington, D.C., street in a snowstorm wearing her Union College scarf, Dr. Estelle Cooke-Sampson '74 was flagged down by a recent Union graduate. It was a fleeting encounter she recalls with a laugh – and the recognition that the Union connection reaches far and remains strong.
“It was a pivotal point for all of us,” she said of her days at Union, where she and brothers Gerald '73 and Lawrence Cooke '77 attended on loans, grants and scholarships. “I was able to flourish among interesting students of different cultural backgrounds.”
The siblings set up the Cooke Family Scholarship in 1997. This year, Cooke-Sampson gave a million thanks – a $1 million gift of insurance designed to properly fund the family scholarship. “The value of the policy will continue to grow, and Union will get not only a million dollars but, potentially, a good deal more,” she noted.
A physician and associate professor of diagnostic radiology at Howard University who grew up in Washington, Cooke-Sampson was one of the 100 women in Union's first coed class. Swapping the urban streets of the nation's capital for Union's quintessentially postcard campus was, literally, a breath of fresh air.
“I found the campus very serene and beautiful, especially Jackson's Garden,” she said. She joined the Drama Club and Black Student Alliance, enjoyed Latin, felt inspired by Dr. Francis Lambert's biology classes and experienced the community beyond Union's gates through the Big Sisters program and visits to Hamilton Hill. Those volunteer experiences set the stage for her lifelong passion for mentoring and civic service.
With an M.D. from Georgetown University, Cooke-Sampson served as a medical officer with the U.S. Public Health Service and worked in women's health care before joining Howard's full-time faculty in 1999. She is also a full colonel and state surgeon for the District of Columbia National Guard. Her latest assignment: Task Force Grizzly, a National Guard effort to enhance U.S./Mexico border security.
She has always made time for her alma mater, including serving as term trustee and Admissions rep, hosting alumni receptions and jetting to campus events. Most recently, her roles and responsibilities converged when she spent a whirlwind 14 hours getting to her 30th ReUnion. The drill? Depart San Diego for Schenectady. Scoop up daughters at the airport. Taxi to campus. Reconnect with classmates. Pick up Alumni Gold Medal. Put girls on a plane back home. Fly across country to suit up for the National Guard once more.