On Nov. 8, 1966, Edward William Brooke III, a Howard University graduate, made history as the first African American elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote and the first Black politician from Massachusetts to serve in Congress.

Born in Washington, D.C., Brooke majored in sociology before serving as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and later earning a law degree from Boston University.

Brooke chaired the Boston Finance Commission to tackle city corruption and, as Massachusetts’ first Black attorney general, fought against corruption and housing discrimination. Winning his Senate seat with 62 percent of the vote, he became the first Black senator since Reconstruction.

Though a moderate Republican, Brooke often challenged his party, opposing conservative Supreme Court nominees and calling for Nixon’s resignation. Senator Brooke served from 1967 to 1979.

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