Edward Brooke
He shattered a century-old racial barrier in American politics, becoming the first Black senator elected by popular vote and serving as a pragmatic liberal Republican.
1919–2015 (age 96)·American politician·Birthday: October 26·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Edward Brooke’s path to the U.S. Senate was carved through a series of firsts, each defying the political expectations for an African American man in mid-20th century America. Born in Washington D.C., he served as a captain in the segregated Army during World War II before building a legal career in Boston. His election as Massachusetts Attorney General in 1962 made him the first Black person to hold that office in any state. But his true landmark came in 1966, when he won a Senate seat, breaking an 85-year absence of African American senators and doing so from a largely white electorate. In office, Brooke was a steadfast moderate, co-authoring the 1968 Fair Housing Act and becoming a vocal, early critic of President Nixon during the Watergate scandal. His career, marked by intellectual rigor and a commitment to civil rights from within the Republican party, redefined the possible in American political life before his defeat in 1978.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Edward was born in 1919, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Edward Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
Edward's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 40
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 50
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 60
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 70
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2015Died at 96
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Became the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, representing Massachusetts from 1967 to 1979.
- Co-authored the Fair Housing Act of 1968, a landmark piece of civil rights legislation.
- Served as the first African American Attorney General of Massachusetts, elected in 1962.
- Was the first sitting senator to publicly call for President Richard Nixon's resignation over the Watergate scandal.
Did You Know?
He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, in 2004.
Brooke was a decorated World War II veteran, serving in the all-Black 366th Infantry Regiment and earning a Bronze Star.
In 2009, Congress awarded him a Congressional Gold Medal.
He graduated from Boston University School of Law after being rejected from Harvard Law due to his race, according to some accounts.
“We must recognize the full human equality of all of our people before God, before the law, and in the councils of government.”
