Jack Brooks, American colonel, lawyer, and politician (d. 2012)

Jack Bascom Brooks (December 18, 1922 – December 4, 2012) was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Texas who served 42 years in the United States House of Representatives, initially representing Texas's 2nd congressional district from 1953 through 1967, and then, after district boundaries were redrawn in 1966, the 9th district from 1967 to 1995. He had strong political ties to prominent Texas Democrats including Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn and President Lyndon B. Johnson. For over fifteen years, he was the dean of the Texas congressional delegation. Brooks was part of two seminal moments in 20th century American history during his congressional career: the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the impeachment process against Richard Nixon.