John Anderson Brooks

John Anderson brooks was born in Mason county, Kentucky, June 3, 1830. and is now 58 years of age.  Mr. brooks spent his early years on the farm of his father, working in summer and attending the town school in winter.  In 1853 he entered Bethany College, Virginia, then presided over by Alexander Campbell, from which he graduated in 1856, and soon after received from his alma mater the degree of A.M.
     He began his Christian ministry immediately, and in a few years was called to the presidency of Flemingsburg College, in Kentucky, over which he presided for two years.  He then returned to the ministry, in the Disciples Church, in which he has continued till this time.  He is now the pastor of the First Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee.
     Up to the time of the late war he was a Whig.  After the war he joined the Democratic Party, and continued in that organization until 1884, when he was nominated for governor of Missouri by the Prohibition party.  Previous to this he had advocated Prohibition in the Democratic Party, which had twice elected a Prohibition legislature pledged to the submission of a Prohibition amendment to the voters of the State.  Thanks to the brewers of St. Louis, the amendment was not submitted.  In his gubernatorial campaign he polled the largest vote, by one half, ever obtained in Missouri by a Prohibition  candidate.
     In 1888 Dr. brooks was nominated for Vice-President by the Indianapolis convention.  During the four succeeding years he conducted a most effective and successful campaign in many States of the Union.
     Since that time Dr. brooks has given his attention to his pulpit work, except during his summer vacations, when he has lectured in various States.
     [brooks died, in Memphis, on 3 February 1897.]

-- Data from An Album of Representative Prohibitionists (1895).

Also see bibliographies:

• Hopkins, A.A. (1888) – The Life of Clinton Bowen Fisk, with a Brief Sketch of John A. Brooks:  NYC, Funk & Wagnalls