User:The man from Gianyar/Edward Brooke II

Edward William Brooke III (October 26, 1919 – January 3, 2015) was an American politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate from 1967 until 1979. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 35th Attorney General of Massachusetts from 1963 until 1967. His election to the U.S. Senate in 1966, marked the first time an African American was popularly elected senator, as well as the first time Massachusetts elected an African American to serve in the United States Congress.

Brooke was born in Washington, D.C. to a middle-class black family. He attended Howard University, where he studied social studies and political science. After graduating in 1941, he enlisted in the United States Army shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. By the end of World War II, he had attained the rank of captain, a Bronze Star Medal, and a Distinguished Service Award. His time in the army exposed him to the inequality and racism which existed in the army system, and led to a change in his perception of race. Following his discharge, he attended Boston University School of Law, graduating in 1948. After graduating, he worked as a lawyer and founded his own law firm. He began his involvement in politics in 1950, when he twice ran for a seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, both times losing to the same opponent.