University of Mary Athletics

A long-time advocate of athletics, Father Blaine Cook was integral to student life and the beginnings of athletics at the University of Mary. The native of Minot, ND, was graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN, and ordained as a priest in 1944. Soon assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in Bismarck, ND, Cook coached the Saints to the North Dakota State Class A basketball championship in 1951. After serving as the first administrator at Bishop Ryan High School in his home town from 1958-70, he was pastor of Corpus Christi Catholic Parish in Bismarck from 1970 to 1977, and for the next 10 years, served as director of religious life and education at what was then Mary College. In 1972 he was named to the Mary Board of Regents as the Marauders athletic programs grew and flourished. During his time on campus Father Cook served as chaplain for Marauders teams. He retired in 1989 and lived on the UMary campus until 1997. He passed in 2000.