Syracuse University - Onondagan Yearbook (Syracuse, NY)

Page 24 text:

AMES BYRON BROOKS was born in the town of Rockingham, Windham County, Vermont, june 27, 1839. He passed his boyhood upon his father's farm among the rugged Vermont hills, and attended the district school. He studied at Newbury Seminary, Newbury, Vt., in preparing for college. Upon the breaking out of the war in the Spring of 1861, -he enlisted' in the First Regiment of Vermont Volunteers upon the President's first call for troops, which was for 75,ooo men to serve three months, and served the term of enlistment as a private. His regiment was located at Fort Monroe and Newport News, in Virginia, and took an active part in the battle of Big Bethel. Upon the expiration of his three months' term of enlistment he re-enlisted in Company H, 4th Vermont Regiment, in September of that year, and was commissioned second lieutenant of his company. The regiment at once went into active service. December 28, 1861, Lieutenant Brooks was detailed for service in the United States Signal Corps. january 19, 1862, while absent on the signal service he was promoted to first lieutenant of Company I, of his regiment. He was constantly on active field duty as a signal officer until August 31, 1863, when, at l1is own request, he was permitted to return to his regiment for service. Lieutenant Brooks was commissioned captain of Company H, of his regiment, May 5, 1864. He participated in all the principal battles in which the Army of the Potomac was engaged, except those of the Peninsula Campaign, at which time he was attached to the army of General Pope, which operated in front of Fredericksburg and in the Shenandoah Valley during that time. In the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, Captain Brooks received a gun-shot wound which resulted in his being discharged from the service August 5, 1864. Upon returning home he renewed his studies and was graduated from Dartmouth College in I869.' He at once entered upon the study of the law in the office of Hon. Roswell Farnham, late Governor of Vermont, at Bradford, in that State, later entering the Albany Law School, from which he was graduated in the Fall of 1871. He began the practice of law in Syracuse, N. Y., February 1, 1872, which he has continued till the present time. He is now a member of the law firm of Brooks 85 Walrath. He was alderman from the Eighth Ward in I884-SQ he was school commissioner from the same ward in 1886-8. In june, 1888, he was appointed one of the board of commissioners to select a suitable source of water supply for the city of Syracuse. That commission reported in favor of Skaneateles Lake as a source of supply February 1, 1889. In june, 1889, Mr. Brooks was appointed a member of the Syracuse water board, which was created by appropriate legislation to construct water works and a plant that should give the city an adequate water supply, and he is still a member of that board. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Syracuse University since 1885. At the Annual Meeting of that Board in june, 1895, he was elected Dean of the College of Law of Syracuse University, a college established at that meeting. That college is now one year old and gives promise of a vigorous growth. Mr. Brooks received the degree of Doctor of the Civil Law from Syracuse University in 1895. 6

Page 23 text:

to James Byron Brooks, H. m., D. Z. IZ Dean of the Zolleae of liaw, this Uolume is Respectfully Dedicated.

Page 25 text:

Cgwgbllwm