James Merrill Cook (November 19, 1807 Ballston, Saratoga County, New York - April 12, 1868 Saratoga, New York) was an American businessman, banker and politician.
From 1838 to 1856, he was the first President of the Ballston Spa Bank and also was the owner of cotton mills at Ballston Spa.
In 1842, 1843 and 1845, he was President of the Village of Ballston Spa. He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846.
He was a member of the New York State Senate from 1848 to 1851, and from 1864 to 1865.
At the state election in November 1851, he was elected New York State Treasurer on the Whig ticket by a margin of only 228 votes (200,693 for Cook; 200,465 for Welch), and took office on January 1, 1852. His Democratic opponent Benjamin Welch, Jr. contested the election successfully, and on November 20, 1852, Welch succeeded to the office for the remainder of the term.
He was New York State Comptroller from 1854 to 1855, defeated for re-election in 1855 by the American Party candidate Lorenzo Burrows.
From 1856 to 1861, he was Superintendent of the New York State Banking Department.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alvah Hunt |
New York State Treasurer 1852 |
Succeeded by Benjamin Welch, Jr. |
| Preceded by John C. Wright |
New York State Comptroller 1854 - 1855 |
Succeeded by Lorenzo Burrows |
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