Preston Cook

Cook was raised in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from high school in 1964.^[2] He attended Kendall College and Lone Mountain College in San Francisco.^[2]

Cook worked for many years as a commercial real estate developer in the San Francisco Bay Area.^[3] He began collecting eagle-related objects in the 1968.^[1] His collection grew to more than 40,000 items, including everyday objects, historical artifacts, memorabilia, and fine art.^[2] The collection, formally titled the Preston Cook National Eagle Collection, was later donated to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota.^[4]

While researching his book American Eagle: A Visual History of Our National Emblem, Cook discovered that the bald eagle, despite its longstanding symbolic role, had never been officially designated as the national bird.^[5] In coordination with Jack E. Davis, author of The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird, and The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, Cook started the National Bird Initiative to create federal legislation on the matter.^[5] Cook drafted a simple bill to designate the bald eagle as the national bird.^[1] The legislation was introduced by Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) in the U.S. Senate and Brad Finstad in the U.S. House of Representatives.^[1] It passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2024.^[6][7]

In 1986, Cook married Donna Cook who had five children from a previous marriage.^[2] He lives in Wabasha, Minnesota.^[8]

• Cook, Preston (2019). American Eagle - A Visual History of Our National Emblem. Goff. ISBN 9781941806289.
• Cook, Preston; Davis, Jack E. (2024). Clearing the Air : Attack of the Giant Eagle. National Eagle Center. ISBN 9798218465698.
• Cook, Preston (2025). How the Bald Eagle Became Our National Bird. National Eagle Center. ISBN 9798218660376.