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Eileen Brookman Papers (MS-00620)

Abstract

The Eileen Brookman Papers date from 1934 to 2002 and document Brookman's personal life and political career. Brookman was active in the Las Vegas Jewish community. Personal papers include programs from B'nai B'rith, scrapbook materials, correspondence, and photographs. The collection includes documentation from the White House Conference on Aging. She served several terms in the Nevada State Assembly from 1967 to 1977 and again from 1987 to 1989. Political materials include legislative information, bumper stickers, election returns, and newspaper clippings.

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1934-2002

Extent

9.70 Cubic Feet (17 boxes, 1 flat file)
10.54 Linear Feet

Related People/Corporations

Scope and Contents Note

The Eileen Brookman Papers date from 1934 to 2002 and document Brookman's personal life and political career. Brookman was active in the Las Vegas Jewish community. Personal papers include programs from B'nai B'rith, scrapbook materials, correspondence, and photographs. The collection includes documentation from the White House Conference on Aging. She served several terms in the Nevada State Assembly from 1967 to 1977 and again from 1987 to 1989. Political materials include legislative information, bumper stickers, election returns, and newspaper clippings.

Access Note

Collection is open for research. Some collection material has been digitized and is available online.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series:

Series I. Personal Papers, 1934-1993;

Series II. Political Materials, 1949-1993;

Series III. Scrapbook Materials, 1940s-1990s;

Series IV. 2005 Addition, 1965-2002.

Biographical / Historical Note

Eileen Brookman (1921-2004) dedicated her adult life to public service, as a member of the Nevada State Assembly and in volunteer and civic activities. She was born Eileen Milstein in Denver, Colorado on October 25, 1921. She grew up in Southern California and graduated from Eagle Rock High School in 1940. She married George Brookman on July 11, 1941 and the couple had two children, Michael and Deborah.

The family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1953. George Brookman operated a construction company.

The family became involved in the Las Vegas Jewish community and Eileen Brookman held leadership positions in B’nai Brith. She ran for the Nevada Assembly in 1966 for the first time, won the election, and went on to serve a total of eight terms in the legislature. She temporarily left public office in 1978, but returned and succesfully ran for reelection in 1986. She retired in 1990 in order to care for her son Michael, a heart transplant recipient.

She belonged to many organizations including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Conference for Christians and Jews. In her political career, Brookman advocated for senior citizens and the underprivileged and also served on the White House Conference on Aging. She was also a member of the Nevada Taxicab Authority, the Nevada Indian Affairs Board, and the Las Vegas Ethics Review Board. The Clark County School District named a Las Vegas elementary school in her honor. Brookman passed away in 2002.

Preferred Citation

Eileen Brookman Papers, 1934-2002. MS-00620. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Acquisition Note

Materials were donated in 1995 by Eileen Brookman and in 2005 by the Brookman Estate; accession number 95-14.

Processing Note

Materials were processed by Joyce Marshall Moore in February 1997. In 2005, Su Kim Chung processed an addition that was donated by Brookman's estate. In 2015, as part of a legacy finding aid conversion project, Hana Gutierrez revised and enhanced the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2019, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Angela Moor rehoused the materials and revised the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2020, Jimmy Chang added materials to the collection.

Resource Type

Papers

Collection Type

EAD ID

US::NvLN::MS00620

Separated Materials

Some of the photographs in this acquisition were removed from the collection and placed in Eileen Brookman Photo Collection, 1960-1989. PH-00303. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Books on Senate and Assembly history and some legislative manuals have been separated and described individually in the University Libraries' catalog.

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English