James Royal Brooke

James Royal Brooke was born in Sacramento in 1930 to Mary (Flanagan) and Royal Brooke, and moved to the Truckee Meadows in 1947, graduating from Sparks High School the following year. After service in the US Navy, he attended the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a degree in political science while playing on the baseball team. Though his skill on the diamond drew offers from professional scouts, he chose instead to pursue the law. In 1953 he was accepted to the University of San Francisco School of Law, where he graduated second in his class with top honors.

Returning to Sparks, he began a long career in the law, serving as the first law clerk for the Nevada Supreme Court. He then turned to public service, elected Sparks City Attorney in 1959 and serving three terms. Afterward he joined fellow attorney Les Grey to form a private practice, continuing in private practice for the rest of his life following Grey's death. A gifted litigator, he was also a skilled arbitrator who often resolved civil disputes without trial through his ability to communicate and articulate legal principles and likely outcomes.

Known as a wordsmith with an impressive command of the English language, Brooke was an active member of many local service organizations, including the Sertoma and Reno Press Clubs. He was a charter member of the Sons of Erin and wrote the group's original charter, and he was long remembered for his contributions to the history of Sparks in the 1950s and 1960s. He passed away on October 29, 2019.