Edward Brooke
Edward Brooke | |||
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Former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts From: January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979 | |||
Predecessor | Leverett Saltonstall | ||
Successor | Paul Tsongas | ||
Former Attorney General of Massachusetts From: January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1967 | |||
Predecessor | Edward McCormack | ||
Successor | Ed Martin | ||
Information | |||
Party | Republican | ||
Spouse(s) | Remigia Ferrari-Scacco (div. 1979) Anne Brooke | ||
Religion | Episcopalian | ||
Military Service | |||
Allegiance | United States | ||
Service/branch | United States Army | ||
Service Years | 1941–1946 | ||
Rank | Captain | ||
Unit | 366th Infantry Regiment | ||
Battles/wars | World War II |
Edward William Brooke III (October 26, 1919 – January 3, 2015) was an American politician who served as a Moderate Republican Senator from Massachusetts. He was the first African American elected to the Senate by popular vote and a strong advocate for civil rights.
Then U.S. President George W. Bush awarded Brooke the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. He died in 2015 at the age of ninety-five and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery.
Early life and career
Brooke was born in Washington, D.C. and attended public schools. He graduated from Howard University there in 1941 and Boston University Law School in 1948. He served as a captain in the United States Army in the European theatre.
Political career
He settled in Massachusetts and held offices in Boston before being elected Massachusetts attorney general in 1962 (re-elected in 1964). He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1966 and re-elected in 1972. He lost re-election 1978 to Democrat Paul Tsongas.
Being an accomplished black leader with sterling integrity, Brooke gave a speech at Wellesley College in 1969 only to be subsequently trashed by a young Hillary Clinton,[1][2] later to be known for her extreme corruption and racism.
Brooke was "pro-choice" on abortion,[3][4] which he claimed he did not personally support but favored offering women the legality to terminate their pregnancies." His stance on the issue ultimately weakened support from Boston Catholics and further contributed to his 1978 defeat.[5]
References
- ↑ Llewellyn, John (January 6, 2015). When Edward Met Hillary. Huffington Post. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ↑ Butler, Joanne (January 29, 2019). OPINION: Hillary Clinton — The Angriest Democrat In America. The Daily Caller. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ↑ Interview with Edward W. Brooke. Edward M. Kennedy Institute. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ↑ "Medically Necessary" or "Health" Abortions: Abortion on Demand by Another Name. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
- ↑ Did you know … Edward Brooke III?. History Novels R Us. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
External links
- Edward William Brooke III bio via Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Edward Brooke: A Featured Biography via senate.gov
- Edward Brooke via Britannica
- Obituary via The New York Times