Charles W. Brooks

Charles W. Brooks

Charles Wayland Brooks (born March 8, 1897 in West Bureau , Illinois , † January 14, 1957 in Chicago , Illinois) was an American politician of the Republican Party . From 1940 to 1949 he sat for the US state of Illinois in the US Senate .

biography

Brooks was born in West Bureau, Illinois, where he grew up and went to school. During World War I he served in the United States Marine Corps , most recently in the rank of First Lieutenant . He was wounded several times. He then studied at the University of Illinois and Northwestern University Law . In 1926 he successfully completed his studies and was admitted to the bar in the same year. He opened his own law firm in Chicago.

In 1936 Brooks ran for the office of governor of Illinois, but could not prevail against incumbent Henry Horner . After the death of Senator J. Hamilton Lewis , Brooks was elected as his successor in a 1940 by-election. His rival candidate, James M. Slattery , who was previously appointed by Governor Horner to the by-election, was defeated with almost 20,000 votes. In 1942, in the regular election, Brooks was able to prevail again. In 1948, however, he was defeated by Paul Howard Douglas and left the Senate in 1949.

He returned to Chicago and died of a heart attack in 1957 . Brooks was married twice. The first marriage to Gertrude Ackerly was concluded in 1920 and divorced in 1943. They had a son together. In 1946 he married Mary Elizabeth Thomas , the daughter of his Senate colleague John W. Thomas . She was director of the United States Mint from 1969 to 1977 .

Web links

• Charles W. Brooks in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• Charles W. Brooks in the database of Find a Grave (English)