A Man of the People

Alumnus of the the Year
Dr. Norward Brooks, ’71 MBA
Albers School of Business and Economics

A Man of Many Firsts, the memoir penned by Norward Brooks, ‘71 MBA, the Seattle University Alumnus of the Year, bears a title neatly summing up the life of a giant.

The emphasis on his decades of being a pioneer doesn’t quite capture the breadth of the fields in which he’s excelled, such as engineering, civil rights, computers, military, business, finance, higher education, politics and government.

Despite the wide range of Dr. Brooks’ accomplishments, a central theme of his life, starting in New Iberia, Louisiana, is service to others. It is a value that he and his wife of more than 70 years—and fellow Seattle University alum—Violet Brooks, ‘66 MEd, have also passed down through generations of their tight-knit family.

And before one can serve, they must be educated.

“It's something you need in order to have a decent life,” says Dr. Brooks, 91, of why he and Violet placed such a high value on learning. “To take that education and do things to help others.”

Dr. Brooks’ many achievements read like a litany of social progress, not the least of which was integrating the Bellevue community of Newport Hills when in 1963 a developer, real estate agent and neighbors tried to prevent his young Black family from moving in. 

When it comes to firsts, Dr. Brooks is the first African American director of a King County department­—namely Records and Elections—as well as the first African American commissioner of the Washington State Employment Security Department. He is also the first Black person to serve as comptroller for the City of Seattle, as King County assessor and as director of Administrative Data Processing at the University of Washington.

However, the true impact of his work is immeasurable, says longtime friend Tom Bangasser, ’66, ’82 MBA, who nominated Dr. Brooks for the Alumnus of the Year award. 

That’s because there are legions of leaders at work in an array of sectors throughout the Puget Sound area simply because Dr. Brooks recognized their talent and took interest in their success.

“He got them into support jobs and they just matured in those areas,” says Bangasser, who met Dr. Brooks while they attended night class working on their MBAs thanks to their G.I. Bill benefits. “I mean, he really is the mentor’s mentor.” 

Following graduation from Seattle University Dr. Brooks went on to earn his PhD from the University of Washington but returned to SU to teach for about 10 years as a visiting and adjunct professor. He instructed on an array of subjects at undergraduate and graduate levels including Black history, political science, public policy, public budgeting and accounting, again showing the depth of his expertise.

“My main purpose in teaching was of course the curriculum students needed for graduation,” Dr. Brooks has said of his time teaching at SU. “But I also knew several of these students would have little to no exposure to a Black professor. I was determined to create an open environment for learning.”

His proudest achievement comes from his 1995 appointment to lead the Seattle Vocational Institute (SVI) in Seattle’s Central District, an open-access, jobs-focused school. Part of Seattle Central College, SVI provided a second chance for those who didn’t first succeed in traditional educational settings. He takes great joy in running into former SVI students who have found their way into rewarding careers.

“They are so happy to share their successes,” he says. “This is my greatest accomplishment.”