David William Brooks was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 farmer and businessman.

Born in Royston, Georgia

Royston, Georgia

Royston is a city in Franklin, Hart, and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 2,493 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Royston is located at ....

, Brooks enrolled at the age of 16 at the University of Georgia

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...

 (UGA) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 in Agriculture (1922) and an Master of Science

Master of Science

A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...

 in Agriculture (1924). While working on his Masters, Brooks also taught agronomy

Agronomy

Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...

 at UGA as an instructor. He started his first farm cooperative, Georgia Cotton Growers Cooperative Association, in [1921] while still at UGA.

When this initial cooperative failed in 1933, Brooks started a new one under the name Georgia Cotton Producers Association. The name was changed to Cotton Producers Association (CPA) the following year and was eventually renamed Gold Kist

Gold Kist

Gold Kist was a large chicken producing company in the United States south. It was founded in 1933 by D.W. Brooks, a University of Georgia agronomy instructor as the Cotton Producers Association, a cooperative to help farmers in Carrollton, Georgia, market cotton. It soon grew and diversified...

 in 1974. Brooks retired as Chairman of the Board of Gold Kist and was awarded the title of Chairman emeritus

Emeritus

Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...

.

Brooks also founded several insurance companies that served the farming communities, Cotton Farmers Mutual Insurance Association (1941) and Cotton States Life and Health (1955)

On the UGA campus, a faculty award in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is a college within the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States.-History:...

, a road and pedestrian mall are named in honor of Brooks.