Ralph Gilmour Brooks (July 6, 1898September 9, 1960) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 29th

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of Nebraska.

Early life

Brooks was born in

Eustis, Nebraska Eustis is a village in Frontier County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 401 at the 2010 census. History Eustis got its start in the year 1886, following construction of the railroad through the territory. It was named for Percy Sprag ...

. His father was a farmer and operated a store. Brooks' family lived in Kearney, Elm Creek, and Sargent during his childhood. He graduated from Sargent High School in 1916, and taught in Cherry and Custer County Schools. Brooks enrolled in

Nebraska Wesleyan University Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) is a private Methodist-affiliated university in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2017, it has approximately 2,100 students including 1,500 full-time students and 300 ...

in 1920, and earned many debate honors. He won the National Oratorical Peace Contest in 1923. He was a member of the College Council,

Theta Chi Theta Chi () is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 at Norwich University then-located in Norwich, Vermont, and has initiated more than 200,000 members and currently has over 8,700 collegiate members across Nort ...

, assistant editor of the college paper, and employed by the State Highway Department as Associate Editor of the department magazine. After graduating in 1925, he attended the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

College of Law and was admitted to the Nebraska Bar Association in 1930.

Career

While teaching at

Hartington, Nebraska Hartington is a city in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,514 at the 2020 census. History Hartington was platted in 1883, as a water stop on the railroad. It was named for Lord Hartington, who had then recently paid a ...

, Brooks earned a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in school administration in 1932 from the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a public land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as the Universit ...

. He served at a number of high schools in Nebraska and Iowa, and married Darleene L. Day on December 24, 1934. The couple had one child. In 1942, he sought and won the Democratic nomination for Congress in the first district, but lost to the Republican,

Carl Curtis Carl Thomas Curtis (March 15, 1905 – January 24, 2000) was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. He served as a Republican in the United States House of Representatives (1939–1954) and later the United States Se ...

, in the general election. Moving to McCook, Nebraska in 1946, he became Superintendent of Schools and President of McCook Junior College. Winning the Democratic nomination, Brooks was elected

Governor of Nebraska The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential e ...

by popular vote on November 4, 1958. While he was in office, he promoted industrial growth, endorsed a traffic safety program, and fought for accelerated

Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

construction. In 1960, Brooks ran for Nebraska's Senate Seat held by

, Brooks won the primary, defeating Clair Armstrong Callan, but died on September 9, 1960, at the age of 62.

Death

While still in office, Brooks died on September 9, 1960.

References

External links

* *
National Governors Association
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Ralph Gilmour 1898 births 1960 deaths People from Frontier County, Nebraska Nebraska Wesleyan University alumni University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni School superintendents in Nebraska Democratic Party governors of Nebraska Mid-Plains Community College Nebraska lawyers People from Hartington, Nebraska People from McCook, Nebraska 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American educators 20th-century American lawyers