Jack Bascom Brooks

Democrat Representative of Texas's 9th district

  • Representative

    Texas, district 9

    January 5, 1993 - January 3, 1995

21

Congresses Served

21

House Terms

December 18, 1922 (89 years old)

Birthday

December 4, 2012

Death

  • Served 42 years in the United States House of Representatives
  • Represented Texas’s 2nd congressional district and then the 9th district after redistricting
  • Had strong political ties with prominent Texas Democrats, including Speaker Sam Rayburn and President Lyndon B. Johnson
  • Was the dean of the Texas congressional delegation for over fifteen years
  • Born in Crowley, Louisiana, and moved to Beaumont, Texas, at age 5
  • Worked various jobs from a young age, including as a carhop and a newspaper reporter
  • Served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II in the Pacific and retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel
  • Elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1946 and played a role in turning Lamar Junior College into a four-year university
  • Showed a mixed political stance, conservative on issues like the death penalty and gun control, but liberal on domestic spending, labor, and civil rights
  • Refused to sign the Southern Manifesto opposing racial integration and had a mixed voting record on civil rights legislation
  • Was present in President Kennedy’s motorcade during his assassination and on Air Force One when Johnson was sworn in
  • Played a significant role in the impeachment process against Richard Nixon
  • Chaired the U.S. House Committee on Government Operations and the House Judiciary Committee, influencing significant legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act
  • Lost re-election in 1994, ending his tenure in the House of Representatives
  • Married Charlotte Collins in 1960 and had three children
  • Died in 2012 at age 89
  • Received tributes and honors, including a federal building named after him, a park, and a statue at Lamar University, and was recognized for his support of the U.S. space program