Dorothy St. John Cooke (d. 1987), a native of Chicago, received her Ph.B (1937) from the University of Chicago; an M.S. (1946) from Iowa State College (University); and completed graduate work at San Carlos University (Guatemala) and the University of Michigan. She married Paul Crabs Cooke in 1933 and they had 2 children.

She served as a field analyst (1941-1942) in the price division, OPA; an economist (1942-1944) at the Smaller War Plants Corporation; and a research associate and instructor (1944-1950) at Iowa State. Ms. Cooke was then a training officer in statistics (1951-1953; 1963-1965) at the International Statistics Bureau Census and a statistician (1953-1954) at the Ordnance Engineering Corporation. She operated as a statistical advisor (1958-1965) for numerous international countries, including Pakistan, Vietnam, Jordan, the Philippines, Switzerland, and other international programs. She then went on to work as the Director , Office of International Statistical Programs (1965-1973) for the National Center for Health Statistics and was an adjunct professor (1970-1974) at the University of North Carolina.

She edited a major journal on international statistics, and was a member of the American Statistical Association and the American Foreign Service Association.

This collection contains letters, published materials, statistical surveys, and information concerning family statistical studies in Vietnam, India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.