Jack Brooks, Former US Representative, Dies At 89
Jack Brooks, who spent the majority of his political career in Congress representing his Southeast Texas district, has died at the age of 89, the Associated Press reports.
The report, quoting a statement from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, says that Brooks died Tuesday night at the Baptist Hospital of Beaumont. Brooks was being kept overnight after the former US representative came down with a sudden illness. The details of his illness are unknown.
Brooks would have celebrated his 90th birthday on December 18. At the time of his passing, he was reportedly surrounded by family
Brooks, a democrat, was first elected to the House in 1952 as the representative of Texas’ 2nd district. Under the tutelage of famed Texas democrat and House Speaker Sam Rayburn, Brooks served the district until 1967 when he was elected a representative of Texas’ 9th district.
“I’m just like old man Rayburn,” Brooks once said. “Just a Democrat, no prefix or suffix.”
One of the more liberal Southern Congressmen, Brooks fought to support civil rights bills and refused to take part in the segregationist “Southern manifesto” in 1956. However, Brooks maintained strict conservative ideals in other areas such as gun control and the death penalty.
“I never thought being a congressman was supposed to be an easy job, and it doesn’t bother me a bit to be in a good fight,” Brooks once said.
In 1960, Brooks married Charlotte Collins, and together the couple had three children: Jeb, Kate Carroll, and Kimberly. Brooks also had two grandchildren: Matthew Carroll and Brooke Carroll.
