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Indianapolis airport unveils statue honoring 1st manager

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – A central Indiana man who was the first manager of the Indianapolis airport that once bore his name is commemorated in a sculpture for travelers to see.

The 7-foot bronze likeness of H. Weir Cook is displayed in the center entrance of the ticketing hall at Indianapolis International Airport.

The Daily Reporter in Greenfield reports the $80,000 sculpture was created by Terre Haute artist Bill Wolfe and funded with private contributions.

Cook was born in Wilkinson in 1892 and became one of the first transcontinental airmail pilots after World War II.

He was a member of the group that selected the location for the Indianapolis airport in 1929 and served as its manager from 1931 to 1941.

The airport bore Cook’s name from 1944 until 1976.