The Reverend John E. Brooks was born in Massachusetts and joined the Society of Jesus in 1950. In 1970, he was elected as the 25th president of College of the Holy Cross based in Worcester, MA.
Brooks was a member of the Faculty of the Theology Department at Holy Cross and served as Vice President and Dean of College. While he retired from his position as President in 1994, Rev. Brooks remains at the College as President Emeritus.
Brooks is also known for his transformative role in the lives of several now-prominent African American men. In 1968, Brooks made it his mission to recruit a group of young men to study at Holy Cross. An article appearing in BusinessWeek in 2007 suggested that "Brooks helped shape an exceptional group of overachievers." These include Clarence Thomas and Edward P. Jones.[1]
A book detailing his story, written by Diane Brady, senior editor and content chief at Business Week, is due to be published in 2011.