Dugald A. Brooks was born in Scottsville, New York, in 1928; after graduating from West High School, he entered the Co-op program at RIT and worked at Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories Analytical Division at first as a glassware washer. In the early years, he did get to meet C.E.K. Mees once or twice. In 1946, he joined the Emulsion Research Division where he partnered with Jerry Carges in making nuclear plates, and later worked with Bert Carrol, John Spence and Elmore Jones, who encouraged him to finish his education. He graduated from RIT in 1949 and then went to Michigan State and obtained a Masters in Physical Chemistry. He continued his career in Emulsion Research working on various projects such as cubic grains, SWR film, magnetic tape, and ONR astronomical plates, which were essentially gelatin free. He later joined Information Services where he helped develop a registry system of Accession Numbers. Later, he joined the finance office, where the work was becoming less and enjoyable with unrealistic deadlines and never-ending reorganizations. Dugald describes his 35 years at Kodak as enjoyable as a whole with a few bumps in road.Dugald served in the US Army Chemical Corp Edgewood Arsenal and was eventually involved in the Army Health and Safety Department developing analytical tools to assess toxicity. He was in the company of other Kodak people such as Al Sieg and Norman Kalenda.
In 1954 he married Helen Short. Together they have two sons, both grown and professional, and four grandchildren. Helen’s active involvement in Sweet Adeline’s soon got Dugald involved in singing and he is a member of the Chorus of the Genesee with whom he travels to perform.
Helen and Dugald still live in the same house in Irondequoit that they bought in 1960. In retirement they still enjoy their singing as well as visiting their grandchildren.
