George Cook was born a slave in Winchester, Virginia. He became a refugee after the Union Army took Winchester in 1862. Cook worked for an Amish family and was allowed to use their personal library. He subsequently attended Howard University, receiving his B.A. as valedictorian in 1881, his M.A. in 1886, and his L.L.M. in 1899. He began his career in education as a mathematics tutor at Howard University and then became the principal of the Normal Department. He went on to serve as a professor in the College of Liberal Arts and later Dean Emeritus. He was treasurer of the Washington, D.C., branch of the N.A.A.C.P. from 1912 to 1931 and was a member of the N.A.A.C.P.'s National Board of Directors from 1914 until his death in 1931.

Source:
Winston, Michael R. Dictionary of American Negro Biography. 1 st ed. New York : W.W. Norton & Company, 1982. pgs. 123-125.