An author and leader in the American Sunday school movement, David Caleb Cook, established the company in
Chicago in 1875. He was motivated to provide affordable educational materials for children who had been left homeless due to the
Great Chicago fire. Cook worked as a
printer's devil in his father's print shop and as a volunteer in Sunday schools around Chicago. He adjudged that most available Sunday school literature "suffered from (containing) either loose theology or poor design". With his wife, Marguerite, he established a newspaper,
Our Sunday School Gem, hoping to provide quality Sunday school literature before starting his eponymous publishing company. As the twentieth century began, the company moved to larger facilities in suburban
Elgin, Illinois, northwest of
Chicago. By the 1920s, the company produced more than 50 titles and had an annual circulation of two million. It operated with the name "Cook Communications Ministries" before reverting to "David C Cook" in 2007. In September 2021, former
Frito-Lay Inc,
Mac Tools, and
Walmart executive John Aden was named chief executive officer for David C Cook. In December 2023, Bill Reeves, the former CEO of
Educational Media Foundation, was named as chief executive officer. In September 2025, the company rebranded as
Cook Media Global. The rebranding comes amid acquisitions of music companies, expanding from a publishing organization.
Acquisitions and imprints David C Cook acquired Kingsway in 1993, Scripture Press/Victor Books in 1995, and
Integrity Music in 2011. In 2015, David C Cook acquired assets from Gospel Light and
Standard Publishing, including the Gospel Light Curriculum line, the Standard Lesson Commentary, HeartShaper, and Route 52 Curriculum from Standard, among other products. The acquisition positioned David C Cook as the second largest Sunday School curriculum publisher in the world behind
LifeWay Christian Resources in
Nashville. In 2016, David C Cook Canada was bought by management and merged with
Augsburg Fortress Canada, changing its name to
Parasource Marketing & Distribution. In 2022, the Esther Press imprint was added, focusing empowerment of women as leaders in their communities and as disciples of
Jesus. In 2024, David C Cook acquired Group Publishing, a curriculum publisher. In 2025, Cook Media Global acquired record label
Fair Trade Services (formerly INO Records). == Foundation ==