A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE 
35 
Economic Work on the Oyster Fisheries Brooks' economic 
work on the oyster began in 1882 when the Governor of Mary- 
land appointed him Chairman of a Commission to examine the 
oyster beds and to advise as to their protection and improvement. 
While occupying this position, he was excused by the Johns Hop- 
kins University from practically all duties as teacher and investi- 
gator and for two years he devoted his talents and energy to the 
work of the Commission. He organized and carried on an exten- 
sive investigation of the actual condition of the natural oyster 
beds of Maryland and studied carefully the results of the policy 
then pursued by the State in its work of supervising and policing 
its oyster resources. He also compiled statistics from the histor>' 
of the oyster industries of France and the North Atlantic States 
in order to ascertain and to show the possibilities of oyster pro- 
duction possessed by the tide waters of Marvdand and the condi- 
tions under which some of these possibilities may be realized. 
A detailed account of these investigations was published in 
January 1884 under the title ''Report of the Oyster Commission 
of the State of Maryland" (a quarto volume of 193 pages), and 
carefully prepared plans for inaugurating a system of oyster cul- 
ture under private ownership and for increasing the supply of 
oysters from the public oyster grounds, were submitted to the 
General Assembly for its consideration and approval. 
The plans w^orked out by Brooks by which the oyster resources 
of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries could be husbanded and 
developed, were far in advance of public sentiment in Maryland 
and were rejected. Not until 1906, twenty-two years later, did 
the Legislature enact a general oyster culture law for the entire 
State. 
Professor Brooks' active interest in the Maryland oyster 
problem did not end when his connection with the State Commis- 
sion expired. He realized from the character of the discussion and 
opposition which brought about the rejection of his plan for oyster 
culture, that the oyster problem in Maryland is in reality a 
social and political one, and he therefore set about conducting a 
" Professor Caswell Grave, Johns Hopkins University. 
