“Brooks ‘Withdraws’ From Race” was the Gazette headline on Saturday, September 10, 1960. That’s because Governor Ralph G. Brooks had died quietly from his heart ailment just four hours after vowing from his hospital bed that he was “sticking in the fight” for the U.S. Senate seat. He was chatting with Mrs. Brooks when his “ailing heart failed him.”
Ralph Brooks was the first governor in Nebraska’s 93-year history to die while in office. He was the first Democratic governor in 18 years in Nebraska. The Democratic party was not only going to have to now find a replacement to oppose Republican Carl T. Curtis for the senate seat but also hand over reins of the state to 68-year-old Republican Lt. Gov. Dwight Burney. Burney would serve as governor for the remaining four months of Brooks’ two-year term. No oath of office was administered because under Nebraska law, the accession to the post of acting governor was automatic and immediate upon the death of the governor. Ralph Gilmour Brooks had lived up to his nickname of the “Bantam Battler.” Even when illness overtook him, he put in a busy, active summer. As Governor he was dealing with the spring flooding Nebraska had suffered, he campaigned in the May primary election; he had attended the July Democratic National Convention, had called a special session of the Unicameral and was campaigning for the November elections.
On August 23 he developed a viral infection and a week later his condition was critical from congestive heart failure. He rallied somewhat but remained in serious condition as he waged his campaign for the senate from the hospital. With a 5 p.m. legal deadline for withdrawing from the Senate campaign looming, Brooks announced shortly after noon that day that he was continuing on with the senate race. “At 3:40 p.m., death reversed the decision.”
The Gazette article said Brooks would be remembered in McCook as “an outspoken and courageous man primarily dedicated to the better education of our children.” He had served as superintendent of McCook schools and president of McCook College from 1948 until he was elected governor of the state of Nebraska in 1958.
An Associated Press article of September 10, 1960 called Ralph Brooks a teacher, school administrator, lawyer, debate and drama coach, and lecturer. His greatest asset though all these jobs was, the article said, the ability to speak and communicate. At age 8 he delivered a 4th of July speech that his father had written, not knowing that it contained “a string of clever insults aimed at prominent townspeople.” It created quit a stir to say the least.
Brooks was born in Eustis, July 6, 1898, the son of a merchant and farmer. He said his strict Methodist father gave him more political history by the time he was 12 years old “than the average college graduate knows now.”
Ben Hormel was president of the McCook Board of Education at the time. Hormel was quoted as saying, “Ralph Brooks was a man with courage of his convictions who fought for his principles whether others agreed with him or not...I am sorry he couldn’t have realized his dream to be the senator from Nebraska.”
My high school journalism and teacher, Hope Rees had taught for Ralph G. Brooks when he was superintendent of the Wymore schools and in the McCook school system also. Mrs. Rees said, “All Nebraskans have lost a good friend and a strong leader in the death of Gov. Brooks...He unselfishly gave his time and energy for the betterment of schools in Nebraska and served our state as a fine governor. We shall miss him.”
John T. Harris, fellow Democrat and Rotarian thought of what the Governor was working so hard on, “Nebraska has an opportunity to pay its respects to him by voting for the legislation which he successfully brought to the ballot to make Nebraska an industrial state. He saw the opportunity to give the people of Nebraska a chance to compete.”
Art Crabtree was a past president of the McCook Board of Education and was at that time a member of the State Board of Education. He mentioned having the pleasure of working with him for the past 18 years on local and state levels in education.
Crabtree said, “He was dedicated to certain principles which made him outstanding as an educator and administrator. He believed and was dedicated to the principles that all pupils, regardless of circumstances or location, are entitled to an equal opportunity to obtain an education. His equality program as it pertained to extra-curriculum activity was outstanding. His interest in and work for the Junior College program was recognized beyond our state. He believed in and never ceased work for it.” Crabtree continued, “It was my observation that he was frequently counseled by administrators over our state and his advice and counseling were respected and followed. He will be greatly missed in educational circles.”
