Rocket Boy Roy Lee Cooke In Person

A special featured event for this year’s Galveston Reads book Rocket Boys is a guest appearance by one of the original Rocket Boys and founding member of the Big Creek Missile Agency. Rocket Boy Roy Lee Cooke was “unique among us” and has been invited to Galveston to tell his side of the story. Cooke will speak on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00 pm at Galveston College, 4015 Avenue Q, Room FA207. Program costs have been underwritten by Galveston Reads sponsors and there is no charge to attend.
When quizzed if his remembrances of those high school days were different from
the author’s Cooke responded, “When different people witness something, it is quite common for them to remember different things in different ways. If I had written the book, I'm sure I would have written different things than Homer. That doesn't mean that he was wrong in his memory.”


The #1 New York Times best-selling memoir, Rocket Boys/October Sky, is the true story of Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr., a boy from the mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia, a town where everything was dying except Hickam’s dreams. This inspirational book shows readers that lives can be better through hard work, perseverance and enthusiasm. All things are possible. The movie name October Sky is an anagram of the book name Rocket Boys - the same letters, just moved around. Note: When the paperback came out at the same time as the movie, it was also titled October Sky. Cooke’s character in the Universal Pictures film was played by William Lee Scott.
Cooke’s father died at age 45 after working his entire adult life in the coal mines; and Cooke and his mother stayed on in the company town. In addition to his involvement in the rocket projects he played running back on the high school football team, was named best thespian during his senior year and was active in a variety of clubs. After high school he went on to college and worked in banking for 25 years. Since that time Cooke has been President of Carolina Domestic Coal and is owner of The Cooke Company, a company devoted to bringing new businesses and venture capital into West Virginia. His company, The Red Shield LLC is the Master Developer of the City of Fairmont, West Virginia.
Cooke maintains civic and business interests in the Appalachian area, including support of the West Virginia Access Center for Higher Education. Additionally, he has New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in several states and started the Prodigy Foundation to support education and jobs in West Virginia. In memory of the beloved science teacher Frieda Riley the Prodigy Foundation each year awards an outstanding West Virginia teacher that has overcome great obstacles to be in the profession.
Over 120 communities have read Rocket Boys together. John Augelli, Rosenberg Library Executive Director, found it to be a fascinating story and, personally one of the most interesting Galveston Reads titles. It’s not too late to participate in the Galveston Reads project. You do not have to have read the book to attend the Rocket Boy Roy Lee Cooke presentation on Tuesday evening.
For more information or schedule of events about the one city/one book project, Galveston Reads visit www.galvestonreads.org or contact Karen Stanley, Rosenberg Library at 409.763.8854 x119.
Roy Lee Cooke promises not to tell too many fishing stories at the Galveston Reads program.
By Karen Stanley