Blalock-Cook Endowed Scholarship

The Blalock-Cook Scholarship Endowment was established by B. Brian Blalock in memory of his father Bill Blalock and his aunt Ruby Cook. Billy Paul (Bill) Blalock was a 1950 graduate of Crockett High School and graduated from Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1958 after a stint in the US Army. Mr. Blalock began his teaching career in Rotan and taught in Troy, Centerville, and eventually Crockett ISD; primarily teaching life sciences and vocational agriculture. He also coached football in Rotan, Troy, and Crockett; and for years Mr. Blalock served as the public address announcer for Bulldog football games. Following the graduation of her nephew, Bill Blalock, in 1958, Ruby Mae (Moore) Cook, at age 40, decided she wanted to go to college. She enrolled at Sam Houston State Teachers College and graduated in 1961 Mrs. Cook began her teaching career in the Kennard ISD where she taught Home Economics. In 1964 she began teaching Home Economics in the Crockett ISD. During her time at Crockett, Mrs. Cook earned her Master of Education in 1966 from Sam Houston State. She retired from teaching in 1974. Billy Brian Blalock is a 1977 graduate of Crockett High School and a 1981 graduate of Texas A&M University. Mr. Blalock spent many years in the broadcast industry as a photographer, editor, and director. He served as a reporter, photographer, and editor for newspapers in Ruidoso, NM, and Baytown, TX. During his career, Mr. Blalock served in a public communications capacity at numerous state and private agencies in Crockett, Austin, and Round Rock. Mr. Blalock was hired in 2003 at Sam Houston State University as the Graphic Coordinator. During his time with Sam Houston, Mr. Blalock evolved into the University Photographer taking care of the photography for Alumni, Athletics, the President’s Office, University Advancement, and the general university community.