Tempe Brooks

Class of 2018

Tempe Brooks was born on May 26, 1941, in Summit, NJ, to Leola and John Boyce-Smith, III, and has a younger brother, Gifford Boyce- Smith, MD. With what she says was a vague notion that biochemistry might be interesting, she decided to attend Pomona College and ended up earning a BA in Zoology.

Tempe met Candy Hall of Famer John Brooks at the Cal Tech Marine Lab in Corona del Mar, where he was a teaching assistant for the Marine Zoology course Tempe was taking. They married in June 1963 in Redondo Beach.

That same year, donning a P-Nuttles apron and sampling the butter toffee nuts to a rowdy crowd at the Los Angeles County Fair alongside John was Tempe’s introduction to the industry. The following year, John joined Adams & Brooks, Inc., a candy company co-founded by his father in 1932.

In the years to follow, Tempe was involved in many projects for Adams & Brooks, including serving as the corporate secretary- treasurer. However, in the mid 1980s she was asked to help out temporarily after the office manager left and says she has been active in the company full-time, more or less, ever since.

Over the years she has managed human resources and the employee benefits programs, chaired the Safety Committee, administered the insurance program, managed Fair Concessions, and worked on new trademark applications and renewals. Tempe has regularly attended and participated at trade shows and industry meetings, serving on the NCA ISM Steering Committee, which guided the association’s first years participating in the international trade show. She also served for seven years organizing the supplier table top displays at the Western Candy Conference.

Most notable, however, is the extent of Tempe’s community involvement. She has been an active member of the Pasadena Junior League since 1967, volunteered in her children’s schools, and was a Scout Leader for 10 years. In addition, Tempe served lengthy terms on and chaired numerous boards including United Way, Project DAY (Diversion Alternatives for Youth), California State Council, the Pasadena Public Library Foundation, and was named Trustee Emeritus at Westridge School in recognition of 20 years of service.

She is also a past treasurer of the Pasadena Guild of Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, which raised more than $11 million to support the hospital. In 1982, Tempe was named by Health & Human Services Secretary Richard Schweiker as a California Delegate to the White House Council on Aging.

John and Tempe have three children; Christine, Cynthia and John, Jr.; and five grandchildren; Brooks, Allison, Corrinne, Olivia and Emily. She says she is looking forward to retiring sometime before she turns 80 and spending more time with her grandchildren, reading and gardening.