June Brooks (1924-2010) was an Oklahoma businesswoman, speaker and promoter of the oil and gas industry. She advocated for

energy independence Energy independence is independence or autarky regarding energy resources, energy supply and/or energy generation by the energy industry. Energy dependence, in general, refers to mankind's general dependence on either primary or secondary ene ...

and spoke throughout the world on responsible energy development. She won numerous awards, including the Distinguished Service from both the Oklahoma Petroleum Council and the

American Association of Professional Landmen The American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL) is a professional organization in the United States that unites approximately 18,000 landmen and land-related persons in North America through professional development and service. AAPL's mi ...

, as well as being honored as an Outstanding Woman of Energy from the Association of Women in Energy and one of the inaugural inductees into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame.

Biography

June Brooks was born on June 24, 1924, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Lillian Eva (née Berry) and Major McKinley Brooks. She went to university studying at both the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

and

North Texas State Teachers College The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School ...

. At North Texas, she met her future husband and after they married, she raised three children. In her early 50s, she was divorced and turned to public speaking on behalf of the oil and gas industry to make a living for her family. She established June Brooks Oil and Gas Company and served on the

Interstate Oil Compact Commission The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), formerly the Interstate Oil Compact Commission, is a United States organization, representing the governors of 31 member and seven associate states, that works to ensure the nation's oil and ...

in the 1970s. In 1975, she attended the World Petroleum Congress in Tokyo and was the only woman present. The conference strengthened her belief in energy independence and she became a vocal advocate, traveling throughout the world speaking for responsible development of the industry. She was a member of the

and in 1978 received a Distinguished Service Award from them. She also spoke on behalf of Women in Energy and was honored by them with the 1980 Woman of Achievement in Energy award. Between 1978 and 1982 she received multiple awards from the Oklahoma Petroleum Council Speakers Bureau and in 1982, was one of the inaugural inductees into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. Brooks continued lobbying on behalf of the oil and gas industry throughout the 1980s, urging industry officials to become politically involved, write their congress members and the president of the United States in protest of moratoriums on exploration. Brooks continued to be honored after retirement, with such honors as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Energy Advocates in 2005, a A Salute to Oklahoma's Energy Past by Oklahoma's Energy Advocates in 2007 and inclusion in a book, ''Astronauts, Athlete & Ambassadors, Oklahoma Women from 1950 to 2007'', published as part of Oklahoma's centennial. Brooks died on August 29, 2010, in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, June 1924 births 2010 deaths People from Ardmore, Oklahoma University of Oklahoma alumni American women in business 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American women 21st-century American businesspeople