Rev. Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Sr.
General Information
- George B. Brooks, Benjamin Harrison Brooks
- Male
- Black/African American
- January 18, 1926
- Edisto Island, Charleston Co., SC, USA
- September 26, 2007
- Phoenix, Maricopa Co., AZ, USA
- Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery, Phoenix, Maricopa Co., Arizona
Legislative Resolution
View Legislative Resolution File for Rev. Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Sr.Biographical Information
Rep. Armando Ruiz was appointed March 29, 1991 to replace Sen. Carolyn Walker who had been expelled from the Senate and he resigned his House seat April 1, 1991. He was replaced by Rev. Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Sr. who was appointed April 1, 1991 as Representative for District 23 and was sworn in April 2, 1991 (Journal of the House of Representatives, 40th Legislature, 1991, pp. v, 584, 635; Mike Padgett. "Ruiz to Replace Walker in Senate." The Phoenix Gazette, March 29, 1991, p. A2; Mike Padgett. "Vacancy in House is Filled: Minister to Take Ruiz's Post as Representative." The Phoenix Gazette, April 1, 1991, p. B1)
The following is from the Legislative death resolution:
The Rev. Dr. George Brooks, Sr. passed away on September 26, 2007 at the age of eighty-one.
A tireless advocate of civil rights and social change, George Brooks worked diligently to better the world around him and dedicated himself to fighting discrimination in this state. He served in the Navy and graduated from Johnson C. Smith University with a degree in pre-law, and in 1951 he earned his Master's of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary. He was then asked by Presbyterian executives to move to Arizona and start the state's first African American Presbyterian church. He founded Southminster Presbyterian Church in south Phoenix and served as its pastor until his retirement in 1996.
For more than half a century, George Brooks was a strong voice of reason in the fight for equality for all citizens, and his efforts distinguished him as a leading civil rights leader in Arizona. He served as president of the Maricopa County NAACP from 1964 to 1972, and in 1964, he lobbied in Washington for funds to start a preschool, a proposal that was instrumental in the establishment of Head Start. He served as a member of the Arizona legislature and as a longtime school board member with the Roosevelt Elementary School District, and also founded Meals on Wheels in the Phoenix community.
In 1973, George Brooks received his Master's of Education degree from Arizona State University, and three years later he earned his Ph.D. in Ministry and Counseling from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Johnson C. Smith Seminary in 1995. In all of his efforts, George Brooks gave selflessly of his time, energy and abilities, and his courage, tenacity and outspoken passion for civil rights continue to inspire a new generation of civic leaders.
Military Experience
U.S. Navy, World War II veteran: "In 1944, during World War II, he enlisted into the Navy. He went to basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois and was assigned to a sub-tender." ("Rev. Dr. George Benjamin Brooks, Sr." The Arizona Republic, October 3, 2007, p. B 8)Employment
| Occupation | Title | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Community/Social Services/Religious | founder and pastor, Southminster Presbyterian Church, Phoenix, Arizona | 1954 - 1996 |
| Community/Social Services/Religious | president, Maricopa County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) | 1964 - 1972 |
Arizona Legislative Service
| Session | Chamber | Party | District | City | County | Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40th Legislature, 2nd Regular | House | Democrat | 23 - Maricopa (1983-92) (1993-2002) | Phoenix | Maricopa | sworn in 4/2/1991 replacing Rep. Armando Ruiz who resigned |