Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 2, 2026

Jesse B. Cook

Jesse Brown Cook (1860–1938) was a San Francisco police officer, chief and a police commissioner. He held a position of authority in the San Francisco police department's Chinatown Squad, policing the local ethnic neighborhood. He was appointed as the Chief of Police in 1906, and left the position in the 1930s. From 1895 to 1936, he worked on a personal project to document history in San Francisco, resulting in a catalog of 12,000 media items entitled the Jesse Cook Scrapbooks.

Last revised
Jul 2, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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Jesse Brown Cook
Portrait of Jesse Brown Cook
Jesse Brown Cook
Born
Jesse Brown Cook

1860 (1860)
Died1938 (aged 77–78)
Resting place
Holy Cross Cemetery, Colma, California, United States
Known forChief of Police after 1906 San Francisco earthquake; Sergeant of "Chinatown Squad"; Police Commissioner
Notable workDescription of San Francisco's Chinatown in San Francisco Police and Peace Officers' Journal (June 1931)
Police career
ServicePolice Officer
AllegianceUnited States
DepartmentSan Francisco Police Department
Service yearsLate 19th century – early 20th century
StatusRetired (later Police Commissioner)
RankChief of Police; Sergeant
Other workCollector of police history materials now held at Bancroft Library

Jesse Brown Cook (1860–1938) was a San Francisco police officer, chief and a police commissioner. He held a position of authority in the San Francisco police department's Chinatown Squad, policing the local ethnic neighborhood.1 He was appointed as the Chief of Police in 1906, and left the position in the 1930s.1 From 1895 to 1936, he worked on a personal project to document history in San Francisco, resulting in a catalog of 12,000 media items entitled the Jesse Cook Scrapbooks.2

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