Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1941-05-22

threatened point, taking himself 9
rifle and thus setting his men the
finest example"
A mans true character, leader
ship, integrity and ability, his love
of country and willingness to die
for it will come out under fire and
when Brooke Lee led those mer
into the enemy trenches, he had nc
guarantee of coming back. The
"battle medals" of those three
great nations show that Brooke
Lee was doing something for clean
government and democracy not
only in Montgomery County but
wherever men loved and fought for
freedom.
Today, when again the world is
in the flame of war and national
security requires that strong men
come forth, what do we see? The
Governor of Maryland has named
Brooke Lee as one of a group of
Maryland men with previous mill
tary experience to be commissioned
as officers of the new State Guard.
These men will take the place in
Maryland of the men of the 10Th
Division now in active service at
Camp Meade.
l am proud that Brooke Lees
son, who bears his name, enlisted
last summer as volunteer private
in mechanical machine gun COM
pany, and is now in active service
in training camp.
During the five years that fol-
lowed the World War, Lee, as a
major in the Reserve Infantry, or
gained and commanded the End
Battalion, 320th Infantry, Organ
lied Reserves, in Washington, D.
G. He was then promoted to Lieu
tenant Colonel in the National
Guard and assigned as Assistant
Chief of Staff of the goth Division
of the National Guard of Mary
land, Virginia and the District of
Columbia.
In November, 1919, having been
discharged from the overseas in
fantry in June, Brooke Lee was
elected by the people of the State
of Maryland as Comptroller of
Maryland and, in the same cleo
ton, carried Montgomery County
with the same majority that Gov
ernor Richie received. He had the
office of Secretary of State of
Maryland in 1928 and 1924.
In the early 1920's, Brooke Lee
was a candidate for the State
Central Committee in the Demo-
cratic primary in Montgomery
County without opposition. He
was then elected as chairman of
the County Committee for a four
year term.
In 1926 he was nominated and
elected to the House of Delegates
by the people of Montgomery
County and elected by the members
Of the House as Speaker for two
regular sessions and two special
sessions, in recognition of his rec
ord in public affairs which was
like his record on the field of bat
tie = marked by courage, thought
honesty and thoroughness.
For the first time in history, a
man from Maryland, in the person
of the late Governor Albert G.
Richie, was seriously regarded as
a candidate for President of the
United States at the Democratic
National Convention at Madison
Square Garden in New York City
in 1924, and again at the Chicago
Convention in 1882. At both OF
these conventions, Governor
Richie named Brooke Lee to rep
resent Maryland on the Resolutions
and Platform Committee. This
has always been regarded as the
most important committee of the
National Convention.
Governor Richie also appointed
Brooke Lee a member of the Board
Of Regents of the University of
Maryland, and the other members
of the Board of Regents elected
him Chairman Of the Building
Committee of the college. This
was during the time that the Uni
versity of Maryland grew to the
impressive institution which it now
is and when many of the beautiful
buildings that now grace the cam
pus at College Park were planned
and erected.
In 1882, Governor Richie, after
dozen years of the closest pos.
sible association with Brooke Lee,
appointed him to the State Roads
Commission of Maryland. 1t was
upon Brooke Lees suggestion as
member of the State Roads Com
mission that the State Legislature
voted a substantial part of the
State gasoline tax to carry the cost
of county road maintenance and
the cost of county road debt during
the worst several years of the de-
preston.
Page 4 F
In early depression years, every
body who knows anything about