In the mid 1940's United Way was known as the "Community Chest". Joe Leonard, Jr., Judge Carroll Sullivant, Leo Kuehn, Mrs. Rufus C. Whiddon and A. Morton Smith were charter members.
On March 24, 1955 the "Community Chest" became Cooke County United Fund. Charter members: Frank Morris, Jr. (First State Bank); Arley Daurity (Tyler & Simpson); J.M. Weinzapfel (Muenster State Bank); Mrs. Peter Hyde (Housewife whose husband taught at the college) and Leroy Robinson (GNB).
Cooke County United Fund's charter details the reasons the organization was formed:
- To promote social welfare of the community
- To promote economy and efficiency in all such agencies (preventing duplication of efforts) and to combine and coordinate into a single organization all fund-raising activities of such agencies
- To advise in the undertaking of new work by existing agencies and the formation of new agencies
- To study community conditions
- To create and continue a fund to be known as Cooke County United Fund
In October 1985 it became known as "Cooke County United Way". Cooke County's giving spirit grew with the years.