Brooks of Montpelier

By Robert L. Walsh

Francis Brooks grew up in Alexandria, Virginia during
the years of Jim Crow. He graduated from Norwich
University in 1967 and remained in Vermont to teach
school and raise his family. He taught and coached at
Montpelier High School for thirty years influencing the
lives of generations of Vermonters. In 1983, he became
the third African American elected to the Vermont
House of Representatives. For the next twenty-five years he held a variety
of important positions and played a key role in passing historic legislation
that guaranteed no Vermonter would be denied his or her rights because
they were different. He served as Majority Leader, Chairman of the General
and Military Committee and as member of the Appropriations Committee.
Today, as the Sergeant-at-Arms he is responsible for the operation and
security of the Vermont State House.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469184265

Robert L. Walsh

Robert L. Walsh was raised in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Colgate University in 1955 and his master’s degree in education from the University of Vermont in 1979. He taught African American history at South Burlington High School, South Burlington, Vermont from1980-1995. Prior to entering the teaching profession, Mr. Walsh completed a career in the United States Marine Corps, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1983-1989.He was a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Vermont from 2001 – 2007 and resides in South Burlington, Vermont. Mr. Walsh is the author of Through White Eyes; Color and Racism in Vermont and the co-author of The Other America: The African American Experience.

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Copyright © 2012 by Robert L. Walsh.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2012904816

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Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Introduction

CHAPTER 1 All Are Equal

CHAPTER 2 Family

CHAPTER 3 Goodbye Jim Crow

CHAPTER 4 Now We Are Four

CHAPTER 5 White Coat & Whistle

CHAPTER 6 Faith & Fire

CHAPTER 7 Entering Politics

CHAPTER 8 Member Of The House

CHAPTER 9 Mr. Chairman

CHAPTER 10 Closing One Door, Opening Another

Epilogue

Sources

Bibliography

Dedication

To

Eunice, Eric, and Maria Brooks

and

In memory of

Houston and Evelyn Brooks

Acknowledgements

This book could not have been written without the cooperation of Francis Brooks. Despite the demands of his job as Sergeant-at Arms, he patiently discussed his life for over seventy hours. I usually sent Francis a list of questions prior to an interview. This allowed him time to prepare and provided a structure to our discussions. It was important for him to be comfortable when we discussed sensitive issues. Francis was always honest in his self analysis, but careful not to impugn the reputation of others.

The majority of the research for this book was based on interviews. The following individuals provided information about Francis’ years as a student, a teacher and a citizen of Montpelier: Richard Rubin (Browne & Nichols School), Gordon Avery, Arthur Vezinia (Norwich University ), Ernest Flanders, Sr., Chris Reed, Dana Huoppi (Montpelier Fire Department), William Fraser, Berverlee Pembroke Hill (City of Montpelier), Ernest Flanders, Jr., Richard Guile, Patrick Healey, Patrick Sikora ( former students), Joel Cook, Bruce Cunningham, James Johnson, Stephen Kimball, (Lobbyists), Romero Aja, Barbara Austin-Hutchins, Pearl Bugbee, Miles Chater, Carrie Cook, Michael Czok, Peter Evans, Johan Naess, Charles Phillips, Carolyn Silsby, Paul Simpson, Joseph Smolen ( Montpelier High School faculty), Reverend Steve Seipke, Barbara Stallings, Jean Wortman ( First Baptist Church, Montpelier), Polly Flanders, Jay Zaetz.

Interviews with the following individuals provided information relative to Francis’ political career: Peter Welch (Member of the United States House of Representatives), James Douglas ( Governor, State of Vermont), Sean Campbell, Timothy Corcoran, Amy Davenport, Johannah Leddy Donovan, Jean Anne Duffy, Alice Emmons, Walter Freed, Barbara Grimes, Paul Harrington, Cola Hudson, Warren Kitzmiller, Thomas Little, Mark MacDonald, Bill Mares, Richard McCormack, William Lippert, Michael Obuchowski, Julie Petersen, Douglas Racine, George Schiavone, Ann Seibert, Robert Stannard, Robert Starr, Leigh Tofferi, Richard Westman, Kurt Wright, Ralph Wright (Vermont General Assembly), Virginia Catone, Michael Chernick, Michael Slater, Theresa Randall (Vermont State Government)

My thanks to Mr. Donald Milne, Clerk, Vermont House of Representatives, and Mrs. Cathleen Cameron, Journal Clerk for guiding me through the Journals of the House and Senate and to Dr. Paul Eschholz, Professor Emeritus University of Vermont, for his wise counsel as the manuscript evolved.

I am particularly indebted to my former legislative colleague Mr. Bill Mares and to Mr. Alan Berolzheimer of the Vermont Historical Society for their detailed evaluation of the early drafts and their specific recommendations. Their comments kept me on track.

Thank you to Linda Blair whose thoughtful editing and guidance allowed me to complete my work.

Finally, thank you to my wife Sandy for her love, patience, and encouragement.

About The Author

Robert L. Walsh was raised in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Colgate University in 1955 and his master’s degree in education from the University of Vermont in 1979. He taught African American history at South Burlington High School, South Burlington, Vermont from1980-1995. Prior to entering the teaching profession, Mr. Walsh completed a career in the United States Marine Corps, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1983-1989.He was a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Vermont from 2001-2007 and resides in South Burlington, Vermont. Mr. Walsh is the author of Through White Eyes; Color and Racism in Vermont and the co-author of The Other America: The African American Experience.

Introduction

In 2006, I wrote Through White Eyes: Color and Racism in Vermont. Chapter II is a synopsis of African American contributions to Vermont’s history. Primas Black and Ephrem Blackman were members of the Green Mountain Boys. Lemuel Haynes, a hero of the Revolutionary War, served as pastor of a white church in Rutland. Alexander Twilight, the first member of his race to obtain a college degree, graduated from Middlebury in 1823. William Anderson represented Shoreham in the Vermont House of Representatives and Daisy Turner recorded her family’s oral history denouncing slavery and expressing gratitude for the whites who sacrificed so that she could be free. As I wrote a few sentences about Francis Brooks, I thought the story of his contributions to our state should be told.

Francis Brooks grew up in Alexandria, Virginia during the years of Jim Crow. He graduated from Norwich University in 1967 and remained in Vermont to teach school and raise his family. He taught and coached at Montpelier High School for thirty years influencing the lives of generations of Vermonters. In 1983, he became the third African American elected to the Vermont House of Representatives. For the next twenty-five years he held a variety of important positions and played a key role in passing historic legislation that guaranteed no Vermonter would be denied his or her rights because they were different. He served as Majority Leader, Chairman of the General and Military Committee and as member of the Appropriations Committee. Today, as the Sergeant-at-Arms he is responsible for the operation and security of the Vermont State House.

Research for this book relied heavily upon interviewing Francis and his peers. Interviewing Francis was a challenge. He is a very private person who guards the details of his personal life. Eventually he shared his thoughts, but not completely. His peers were reluctant to criticize Francis in any way. Representative Barbara Grimes, to her great credit, was the only representative willing to speak candidly of the effort to remove Francis as Majority Leader. She criticized Francis’ leadership and his perceived inability to confront Speaker Ralph Wright.

When writing a book about an African American living in the one of the whitest states in America, the subject of race cannot and should not be avoided. As part of each interview I asked have you witnessed any racial incidents or heard derogatory racial comments, directly or indirectly, about Francis. The question made people uncomfortable. The response was immediate and almost always the same. NO!

Francis said racism wasn’t his primary concern. He worried more about his ability to do his job as a teacher and later as a politician. However, when pressed, he said:

Racism is a universal concern for any minority from the day you are born until you die. When you sense people are doing something, overtly or covertly, because of the color of your skin, you always have to consider that reality. You may have to do this or that to survive. It’s not a fear. It’s awareness.

During my first term in the Vermont House of Representatives, Francis asked me to co-sponsor a bill designating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a state holiday. After it was defeated, several of my colleagues who voted against the bill questioned why I co-sponsored a bill "honoring