Gene Brooks and His Contributions to the American Choral Directors Association

In his thirty years as Executive Director of ACDA, Dr. Gene Brooks has demonstrated his passion for choral music through his work in the organization. The present study documents (1) Brooks' development from childhood through his early career as a musician and choral music educator; (2) his early involvements with ACDA; and (3) his contributions to ACDA as Executive Director. This study concludes that the contacts Brooks made in his early childhood proved to be beneficial in his work with ACDA. Brooks' relationship with Louise D. McMahon and the McMahon Foundation allowed him to raise funds needed for the building of the original ACDA Headquarters in Lawton, Oklahoma, the expansion of the Lawton headquarters, and the McMahon International Museum of Choral Music which is part of the new national headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Former ACDA Presidents and officers credit Brooks for the financial success of ACDA, and for his commitment to promoting the organization and the choral music art through divisional and national conventions. Brooks enlisted Raymond W. Brock to establish the ACDA Endowment, which supports several projects and awards, including the Raymond W. Brock Commissions, the Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Competition, the Student Conducting Competition, the Colleen J. Kirk Award, the Allen Lannom Award, and the James Mulholland Fellowship. During Brooks' tenure, the membership of the organization grew from 4,000 to over 20,000.