Named in honor of William R. Brooks (1844–1921), American astronomer. As the village photographer at Phelps, New York, he independently discovered comet 1881 V with a 5-inch reflector. Although credited to Denning, this find encouraged Brooks to build a 9 1/4-inch telescope with which he found comet Brooks-Swift 1883 I. During the next 28 years, Brooks discovered 20 more comets to which his name has been attached. Three of those were found during a particularly successful 4-week period in 1886. In 1900 he became professor of astronomy at Hobart College in Geneva, New York. (M 17655) _ _.