Pacific Island Times January 2019 Vol. 4 No. 1 | Page 5

Brief Chat
At least 27 states and
territories in the United
States have had their
first gentlemen, starting
in 1925 with James E.
Ferguson, a former
governor of Texas who
was forced from office
due to corruption charges,
and whose wife Miriam
A. Ferguson later won the
office. Puerto Rico had
First Gentleman Ramón
Cantero Frau, whose wife
Sila Maria Calderon was
the territory’s governor
from 2001 to 2005.
2
018 elections throughout the U.S. revealed that
the voters are ready for a change from patri-
archy. Many public office positions have been
filled by women and voters have sent to Adelup
Guam’s first female governor, Lou Leon Guerrero,
and its first LGBT Lieutenant governor, Josh Teno-
rio.
As Leon Guerrero assumes office, she is bringing
along another Guam first: “First Gentleman” Jeffrey
Cook. With a male spouse in Adelup, many people
are wondering what that would look like and what
Cook’s role would be.
While nobody has been accorded the “first gentle-
man” designation as a husband of a U.S. president,
there are many precedents in other countries such
Britain, Germany, Bangladesh, the Philippines and
Taiwan. The Republic of Marshall Island has First
Gentleman Tommy Kijiner, husband of Hilda Heine,
who was elected president in 2016.
At least 27 states and territories in the United
States have had their first gentlemen, starting in
1925 with James E. Ferguson, a former governor
of Texas who was forced from office due to corrup-
tion charges, and whose wife Miriam A. Ferguson
later won the office. Puerto Rico had First Gentle-
man Ramón Cantero Frau, whose wife Sila Maria
Calderon was the territory’s governor from 2001 to
2005.
On Guam, no one could have been more pleased
with the new Democratic team in Adelup than Cook,
a lawyer with Cunliffe & Cook Law Offices. He
has been a behind-the-scene supporter of his gover-
nor-wife, a former senator and president of the Bank
of Guam.
“I knew my wife had a very big chance of win-
ning. The campaign was really a chance to meet
lots of people,” Cook said. “Lou and Josh have very
strong supporters—not just the people working
the campaign, but just a lot of people who admire
them,” he said. “It was fun to get to know those
good people. I was conjunctionally involved with
the campaign. I would go to the meetings and things
in the evening.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ca., Cook earned
his bachelor’s degree from the University of Califor-
nia at Los Angeles in 1970 and attended law school
at the University of San Fernando Valley College of
Law, J.D. in 1976. He met Leon Guerrero in 1973,
when she was studying at California State Universi-
ty. Three years later, they got married in Tustin, Ca.
Cook’s first admission was in 1977. He worked at
the U.S. District Court Central District of California
in 1979; and at the U.S. District Court of Guam in
1980, the year he moved to Guam along with his
wife, who was to be the future governor. He also
worked at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
in 1981.
What will be Cook’s role in the administration?
“I’m interested in promoting recycling,” he said.
By Johanna Salinas
“A lot of work needs to be done on our island to
improve the environment. More people need to
understand the importance of recycling. I intend
to work with various organizations and individuals
in order to push educating our island, starting from
the youth in the schools. I think people believe that
since we’re living in the tropics, everything de-
grades quickly so it’s no big deal to throw trash on
the roadside. They don’t understand that’s not true
about a lot of material, particularly with plastic and
metals.”
Although he is still adjusting to being first gen-
tleman, Cook hopes that he can continue on with
his life and his career. “I’ve already tried to make it
clear that I don’t think I need a security person. I’d
like to exercise and walk by myself listening to mu-
sic. If I can, I’d like to continue to do that and not
have some security person around,” Cook said.
Cook and Leon Guerrero have two children Joa-
quin and Mariana.
“I’ve been married to Lou for so long and I’m
used to her activities on island, first as a senator,
then president of the Bank of Guam. I’m used to
going to functions and being involved in things,”
Cook said.
Cook has been involved in the Red Cross here on
Guam since 1985 and active with the Guam Football
Association for all the soccer games. “I’ll continue
to do those things to the best of my abilities. I’m
just going to try to go with the flow,” he said.
Another big transition Cook is anxious about is
his living situation. “When it comes to living in the
Government House versus staying in our current
house, as much as possible, I’m going to try to
spend time in my personal house. I like my house,”
he said.
Despite his new role in the community, the attor-
ney hopes to continue working with his law firm,
where he does not expect any special treatment. “I
still intend to practice, and I don’t know yet how
this’ll affect my practice,” he said. “I’m still who I
am, so being first man doesn’t change me. I’ll still
do what I do. The judges are still the judges and I
have to show my respect to the judges. I have to
show my respect to the lawyers. I don’t foresee any
major change. How people think they have to treat
me, that’s their decision.”
Although he is learning how to be the first gentle-
man, he is positive that Leon Guerrero and Tenorio
will find their flow as Guam’s new leaders and fulfill
their promises to the people of Guam. Cook said,
“[Lou] and Josh are the ones elected to serve the
people. I look forward to doing anything I can to
help my wife’s new journey as governor, but they’re
the ones doing the work.”
5