EVENT: The
at The University of Texas at Austin will announce the acquisition of the Jack Brooks Congressional Collection.
WHEN: 11 a.m., March 24.
WHERE: Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Parking information for the LBJ Library and Museum can be found online.
BACKGROUND: Dr. Don Carleton, executive director of the
Center for American History
, will announce the acquisition of the papers of Congressman Jack Brooks. In addition to Brooks, the following are expected to attend: former Gov. Dolph Briscoe; former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes; Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of former President and Mrs. Johnson; Larry Temple, president of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation; and James B. Steinberg, dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.
Jack Brooks of Beaumont, Texas, represented the Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1953 through 1966, and the Ninth Congressional District from 1967 through 1995. As a ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, Brooks helped write the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He played a major role during the impeachment proceedings against President Richard M. Nixon. As the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Brooks sponsored significant pieces of legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. He also served as the dean of the Texas Congressional delegation from 1979 to 1995. A graduate of the University of Texas Law School, Brooks served in the Texas Legislature from 1946 to 1950.
The Brooks Congressional Collection includes photographs, legislation, correspondence, research materials, memorabilia, official documents and campaign materials that span Brooks’ career. The material will be accessible to researchers once processed and housed. The Brooks papers join those of his colleagues in the Center’s congressional collections, including U.S. Senators Lloyd Bentsen and Ralph Yarborough, and Congressmen Sam Rayburn, Henry B. Gonzalez, Bill Archer, Bob Eckhardt, Jake Pickle, and Bob Krueger.
Note to editors: The press event will be the best opportunity for interviews. Advance interviews are also available.
