Original Gerber Baby Ann Turner Cook Celebrates 93rd Birthday, Shares Why They Chose Her

(Getty Images | Mario Tama)

The original Gerber baby, Ann Turner Cook celebrated her birthday on Nov. 20, 2019. Though she soon grew out of those adorably round, chubby cheeks into womanhood, eventually to a fine age of 93, so too has that first portrait endured as the face of Gerber for just as long; Cook’s cute likeness has adorned Gerber’s product packaging since 1928.

Back in those days, Gerber Products Co. held a contest to find a face to market their baby food products. Cook’s neighbor, artist Dorothy Hope Smith, entered her charcoal sketch of Cook as a baby, and the judges fell in love; they picked Smith’s depiction of baby Cook as the winner of the contest.

Cook’s likeness fast became the trademark of the company and adorned the pantries of homes across North America and beyond. However, while rumors abounded, Gerber’s true identity was kept private until 1978, as per Koco News 5. Cook participated in the company’s 50th anniversary celebration, and the secret was out.

From that moment on, Cook has spoken openly about her experience of being the original face of Gerber and has maintained a relationship with the company over the years. On the occasion of Cook’s 93rd birthday, Gerber Products Co. made a special point to offer their congratulations.

Gerber shared a post on their Instagram page wishing their “OG”—that’s Original Gerber—baby happy birthday. “For over 90 years, it’s been our pleasure to welcome countless babies to our ever-growing Gerber family,” they wrote, beside a picture of the smiling birthday girl sitting beside a jar of Gerber baby food.

“Our dedication to each and every generation of little ones has long been part of our heritage,” Gerber added, “and we’ll always take time to celebrate a true classic.”

Cook, who was born on Nov. 20, 1926, in Tampa Bay, Florida, spoke to People about her infamous likeness back in 1976. “It’s not anything I did myself,” she said.

Years later, Cook spoke to Fox 13 and reasoned, “I was a happy, healthy baby, and I think that’s why the drawing has been so appealing to people. Because everybody wants their baby to be happy [and] healthy-looking.

“I’m more proud of having earned my master’s degree after 13 years as a housewife, of having worked my way up to chairman of the English department of a large high school, and of my 29-year marriage,” Cook explained, adding that she endorsed Gerber and even used their baby food to wean all four of her children.

Cook’s mother was the Newspaper Enterprise Association cartoonist Leslie Turner, who drew a comic strip named “Captain Easy: Soldier of Fortune” for over 50 years.

Illustration - Shutterstock | Sheila Fitzgerald

Cook, herself creative, grew up to become an English teacher and later retired to write mystery novels. She still resides in Florida and is now a great-grandmother.

In 2018, Cook posed with Lucas Warren, a little boy with Down syndrome, who was chosen as the Gerber baby that year. Cook’s grandson Chris Colin told People that his grandmother “just loves babies.”

The year 2019’s Gerber baby was Kairi Yang, from Hickory, North Carolina. New faces are chosen every year, each championing diversity in their own unique way.

“She thinks of herself as sort of the face of babies,” Colin said. “And because of this funny thing that happened, she gets to meet all these really wonderfully cute little babies in life.”