Cook, Freda Mary (1896–1990)

New Zealand feminist, political activist, social reformer, journalist, and teacher. Name variations: Freda Mary Pym. Born Nov 9, 1896, at Alvescott, Oxfordshire, England; died Jan 20, 1990, at Titahi Bay, Wellington, New Zealand; dau. of Samuel Arnott Pym (solicitor) and Emma Bertha (Harrison) Pym; attended Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, 1919; m. Eric Kingsley Cook (teacher), 1935 (died 1948).

Immigrated to New Zealand (1924); became activity secretary for Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Auckland, Christchurch, and New Plymouth (1926–29); active in League Against Fascism and Working Women's Movement (1930s); was executive member of Wellington women's section of National Unemployed Workers' Movement (1935); relocated to England with husband where they founded alternative news service, General News Service (later Democratic and General News) in London; drove trucks for Women's Army Auxiliary Force during WWII and joined China Campaign Committee; became member of League Against Imperialism and worked for Indian independence; also visited Eastern Europe for Democratic and General News service; contributed articles to New Zealand periodicals, Working Woman, Woman To-day, Workers' Weekly and Tomorrow; returned to New Zealand and taught at Wellington College and at the Correspondence School (1950s); traveled to India, Russia, and China, and was invited to North Vietnam as the 1st full-time English teacher at university of Hanoi; wrote letters to New Zealand Monthly Review (1960s), which assisted New Zealand's antiwar movement; returned to New Zealand and joined Committee on Vietnam; campaigned against apartheid in South Africa as member of Halt All Racist Tours movement (HART) and Citizens' Association for Racial Equality (CARE, 1970s).

See also Dictionary of New Zealand Biography (Vol. 4).