BIOGRAPHIES
Wayne County Michigan
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FRANK WILKS BROOKS
Constructing engineer, railway official; born, Cherokee Co., Texas, 1864;
son of Joseph Wilks and Frances Josephine Brooks; married, at Ruston, La., Mary Pauline Neilson. Entered railway service as assistant in engineering corps, Texas & Pacific Road, 1882, and was identified with various departments of Queen & Crescent and Illinois Cental roads up to 1895, became associated in electric railway enterprises, in and around Detroit, 1895, and has been general manager Detroit United Railway since 1901. President Detroit, Jackson & Chicago Railway; vice president and general manager Rapid Railway System; vice president Detroit, Monroe & Toledo Short Line Railway. Member Board of Commerce. Mason. Clubs: Detroit, Country, Detroit Boat, Harmonie Society. Office: 12 Woodward Av. Residence: 51 Alfred St.
Source: The Book of Detroiters Edited by Albert Nelson Marquis 1908
The Book of Detroiters by Albert Nelson Marquis 1908 by Albert Nelson Marquis
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FRANK WILKS BROOKS
Frank Wilks Brooks, contracting engineer
and railway official, waa prominently knuwn as the presidcnt of the Detroit United Railway, until he resigned on May 25, 102), because of ill health. He
waa born in Cherokee county, Texas, March 4, 1864,
a son of Joseph Wilks and Frances Josephine Brooks.
His youth was passed in his native state, where he
acquired hia education, and he became identified with
railway interests in 1882, when he was made assistant
in the engineering department of the Texas & Pacific
Railroad. He afterward obtained experience of similar character with various lines of the Queen &
Crescent Railroad and the Illinois Central, being thus
connected until 1895. Each change of position marked
n forward step in his career and in every position
which he occupied he made friends as the result of
the thoroughness and efficiency of his work snd his
gentlemanly demeanor. With his removal to Detroit
he became interested in electric railway enterprises
in and near the city and in 1901 was made general
manager of the Detroit United Railway system, while
later the duties of vice president were added to that
position. From this point he stepped into the presidency of the Detroit United Railway, nor did this
cover the scope of his activities along this line, for
he was the president of the Detroit, Jackson & Chicago Railway, president and general manager of the
Rapid Railway system and president of the Detroit,
Monroe tc Toledo Short Line Railway. His resignation
tendered on May 25, included the offices held in all
of these companies. Through nil these years Mr.
Brooks has been a close student of everything relating
to strum and electric railway management and control. There is perhaps no man whn is subject to such
general criticism as tbe oue who ia connected with
public utilities and Mr. Brooks has not escaped his
share of the attacks of the uninformed public, who
according to their opinions know how to manage
railroads without having been in a railway office.
Nevertheless Mr. Brooks has pursued the even tenor
of his way, learning his lessons in the school of experience, promoting his efficiency through the exercise
of effort and displaying at all times initiative and
progresaireness. Even in the recent period of Detroit's marvelous growth and development- a growth
that may well be termed one of the wonders of the
age—he managed to keep the Detroit railway system
abreast of public demands through the splendid systematixatlon of the work and bis ability to gather
around him an able corps of efficient assistants.
At Ruston, Louisiana, Mr. Brooks was united In
marriage to Miss Mary Pauline Neilson and they have
become the parents of five children: Jere Hutch ins,
a graduate of the United States Naval Academy,
Annapolis, Maryland, in 1900, is a lieutenant commander in the United States navy; Viola Josephine is
the wife of Major John J. Fulmcr of tbe United States
army; Frank Wilks, Jr., is the assistant general superintendent of the Detroit United Railway; Pauline
is the wife of Addison K. Holton of Detroit; and Helen
is the wife of John 0. Hunter of Syracuse, New York.
Mr. Brooks is a member of the Masonic fraternity and
is connected with the Detroit Board of Commerce.
He has membership in the Yondotega, Detroit, Detroit
Country, Detroit Athletic, and the Bloomfield Hills
Country Clubs and also the Harmonic Society and
asido from his association in these organizations he
largely finds his recreation in fishing. Ho is also a
member of the Engineers Club of New York. He is rather quiet and reserved in demeanor but is a pro-
found thinker and close student while a man of few
words, and his ready insight into human nature and
the springs of human conduct has constituted one
of the strong forces of his character la dealing with
his employes and the general public. The resignation
of Mr. Brooks from the presidency and directorate of
the Detroit United Railway, and from his other official
positions in connection with the various roads, was received with unanimous expressions of regret by the
officials and all with whom he had been associated.
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