Edward Williams Brooke, III is an American politican. Brooke was born in Washington, D.C, October 26, 1919. He graduated from Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1941 and graduated from Boston University Law School in 1948. He was a captain in the United States Army, infantry. He was the chairman of Finance Commission, city of Boston 1961-1962. Brooke was elected attorney general of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1962 and reelected in 1964. He was elected to the US Senate in 1966. He was the first African American to be elected by popular vote to the United States Senate. He served as a Republican from Massachusetts. He was Senator from January 3, 1967 to January 3, 1979. where he gained a reputation as a vigorous prosecutor of organized crime