Self-Destruction

The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of
U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster

In her Foreword to this book, Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote:

“. . . At their best, political biographies are meant to illuminate the private lives of public figures – and deepen our understanding of the era in which they served. John W. Frece’s honest, meticulous narrative for the first time shines a bright light on Senator Danny Brewster: a consequential leader whose two decades in public office helped shape the history of both my beloved home state and our entire nation.

In Self-Destruction: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster, we follow one man’s journey navigating power and privilege, duty and devotion, horror and hardship. In the end, Danny led a life of meaning, purpose and service. He was a good man, who loved his family.

As his good friend, I am grateful that his story will finally, fully be told.”

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Reviews

“This beautifully written and carefully researched biography portrays the fascinating life of Daniel B. Brewster, from his courageous fighting in the South Pacific, where he was wounded seven times but never relinquished command, to his rise in national politics, to a downward spiral that nearly destroyed him, followed by an amazing comeback. ”

— Ambassador Tyler Abell, President Lyndon Johnson’s Advisor & Chief of Protocol

“Senator Daniel Brewster became caught in the vortex of American politics of the 1960s: the New Frontier, Great Society, Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement, and conservative reaction. How he coped with these challenges, personally and politically, and the price he paid, makes a powerful story.”

— Donald A. Ritchie U.S. Senate Historian Emeritus

Hollywood-handsome Daniel Baugh Brewster had it all: inherited wealth, stellar education, medals for bravery as a World War II Marine, prestigious horse farm, gorgeous and talented wife, and two young sons -- even a seat in the United States Senate. As a stand-in for Lyndon Johnson, Brewster’s 1964 defeat of segregationist George C. Wallace in Maryland’s presidential primary was credited with clearing the way for congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He became known as “the Golden Boy of Maryland Politics.” Then, debilitated by alcoholism, he self-destructed and lost it all -- a breathtaking descent into divorce, electoral defeat, a bribery scandal, financial collapse, and personal shame. By life’s end, however, Brewster emerged from his legal problems, quit drinking, married happily, started a new family, and became a gentleman farmer. He found an equilibrium, reclaimed his dignity, and developed a quiet awareness of what really makes life worth living.

As a 20-year-old Marine lieutenant on Okinawa, Brewster fought in some the most savage combat of World War II. During the three-month-long siege, Japanese and American bodies piled up in a no-man’s land, rotting in the constant rain and tropical heat. Brewster was wounded seven times, including by one bullet that tore through his helmet. He was later decorated for valor. He returned from war bursting with ambition. He became a fearless steeplechase rider, earned his law degree, and quickly rose in politics: state legislature, Congress, and the Senate. He won his first 12 elections, almost always as the leading vote-getter. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer both got their start in Brewster’s Senate office. He became friends with and supporters of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

In 1964, Brewster agreed to stand in for President Johnson in Maryland’s presidential primary, which he wrongly thought would be an easy victory against a racist governor of Alabama, the Trump-like demagogue George C. Wallace. Brewster was startled to be booed, cursed, and spat upon by pro-segregationist Maryland voters. He managed to defeat Wallace, a victory that may have saved the Civil Rights Act then pending in the Senate. But he was shaken and began drinking more heavily. He remained a champion of civil rights (he was the only Democratic Senator from a state south of the Mason-Dixon line to co-sponsor both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965), but the Wallace election was a turning point in his life.

Brewster’s marriage of 13 years to former cover girl Carol de Havenon soon collapsed after he reunited with Anne Bullitt, an old flame who had jilted him 24 years before. She was the glamorous daughter of the journalist Louise Bryant and America’s first ambassador to Russia, William C. Bullitt. His new marriage, his increased drinking, and other political missteps contributed to his 1968 election loss – defeated by Republican Charles McC. Mathias, Jr., a lifelong friend who was godfather to one of his sons.

After the loss, Brewster retreated to Anne’s horse farm west of Dublin, but spent most of the next seven months hospitalized for treatment of his alcoholism. During that hellish time came word from America that he had been indicted for allegedly accepting bribes. He was at rock bottom.

It took six ruinous years, but Brewster finally emerged from his legal ordeal. He then started his third act: He quit drinking, married Judy Aarsand, a woman he had met while in rehab, and became a doting father to two daughters and a son. He helped other recovering alcoholics and was named to hospital boards and government commissions. Gradually, he brushed the tarnish off his reputation and found equilibrium and happiness in his life.

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