John C. Brooks
Encyclopedia
John C. Brooks served as North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
from 1977 to 1993. His tenure included the 1991 fire
at a chicken-processing plant in Hamlet
that killed 25 workers. Brooks fined the plant $808,150, which was the largest such penalty in state history, but which was criticized as insufficient. Brooks lost the 1992 Democratic primary for Commissioner of Labor to Harry Payne.
, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
(with a Morehead-Cain Scholarship
), and the University of Chicago
law school. He worked as an attorney and clerked for N.C. Supreme Court Justice William H. Bobbitt
. He served on the staff of Governor Terry Sanford
, worked as an administrative officer for the North Carolina General Assembly
and assisted constitutional conventions in Maryland
and Illinois
before being elected Labor Commissioner in 1976.
. On the runoff election day, Brooks lost to Donnan, 68%-32%. Voter turnout was 2%, setting a new record for low turnout in North Carolina.
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
The Commissioner of Labor of North Carolina is the head of the state's Department of Labor.The Constitution of North Carolina provides for the election by the people every four years of a Commissioner of Labor whose term of office runs concurrently with that of the governor...
from 1977 to 1993. His tenure included the 1991 fire
Hamlet chicken processing plant fire
The Hamlet chicken processing plant fire was an industrial fire in Hamlet, North Carolina, at the Imperial Foods chicken processing plant on September 3, 1991, due to a failure in a hydraulic line. Twenty-five were killed and 54 injured in the fire, trapped behind locked fire doors. In 11 years of...
at a chicken-processing plant in Hamlet
Hamlet, North Carolina
Hamlet is a town in Richmond County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 6,018 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hamlet is located at ....
that killed 25 workers. Brooks fined the plant $808,150, which was the largest such penalty in state history, but which was criticized as insufficient. Brooks lost the 1992 Democratic primary for Commissioner of Labor to Harry Payne.
Early life
Brooks, a native of Greenville, North CarolinaGreenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
(with a Morehead-Cain Scholarship
Morehead-Cain Scholarship
The Morehead-Cain Scholarship was the first merit scholarship program established in the United States, founded at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the first public university in the United States. It is named for its benefactors, John Motley Morehead III and the Gordon and Mary Cain...
), and the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
law school. He worked as an attorney and clerked for N.C. Supreme Court Justice William H. Bobbitt
William H. Bobbitt
William Haywood Bobbitt , was an American jurist and Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Bobbitt was born in 1900 in Raleigh, North Carolina and earned his law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Bobbitt was elected a Superior Court judge and served with...
. He served on the staff of Governor Terry Sanford
Terry Sanford
James Terry Sanford was a United States politician and educator from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford was the 65th Governor of North Carolina , a two-time U.S. Presidential candidate in the 1970s and a U.S. Senator...
, worked as an administrative officer for the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
and assisted constitutional conventions in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
before being elected Labor Commissioner in 1976.
2008 election
In 2008, at age 71, Brooks filed as a Democrat to run for Commissioner of Labor again. Brooks placed second in the May 2008 primary, but because no candidate garnered more than 40 percent of the vote, he was allowed to call for a runoff on June 24, with first-place finisher Mary Fant DonnanMary Fant Donnan
Mary Fant Donnan was the Democratic nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2008 election.Donnan is a graduate of Davidson College and of the University of Adelaide. Prior to attending Davidson College, Mary was President of the Young Republicans Club at Independence High School,...
. On the runoff election day, Brooks lost to Donnan, 68%-32%. Voter turnout was 2%, setting a new record for low turnout in North Carolina.