George Leigh Cooke (baptised 1779 – 1853) was a mathematician and priest who held the position of Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Oxford for over 40 years.
Cooke matriculated at the University of Oxford as a member of Balliol College on 26 January 1797, at the age of 17, and became a scholar of Corpus Christi College in the same year.
He was elected to a fellowship of Corpus Christi in 1800, the year in which he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree, and retained this position until 1815, when he resigned in order to marry.
He was appointed Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy in 1810, retaining this post until 1853.
[1][2] He was regarded as a sociable individual, who was one of the main figures of the Literary Dining Club for Oxford academics.