James Francis Cooke (1875–1960) was born in Bay City, Michigan, and moved to Brooklyn, New York, at age two. There, he studied with Dudley Buck. After attending the Royal Conservatory in Wurzburg, Germany, beginning in 1900, Cooke earned a doctorate in music from the University of the State of New York in 1906. He was an author of books (novels, music), a playwright, president of the publisher Theodore Presser from 1925 until 1936, and editor of The Etude magazine from 1907 until 1949. His piano piece, “White Orchids,” was originally published in 1941 by Presser. It was described that year in The Etude, Vol 59, No 6, as “a lyric idyl, somewhat in the form of MacDowell’s ‘To a Wild Rose,’ with some interesting touches in the harmonic treatment which seems to spring most naturally from the melody.” Easy.