Brinkley was born in
Faceville,
Georgia. After graduating from
Young Harris College in 1949, Brinkley became a school teacher for several years before serving as a pilot in the
United States Air Force from 1951 to 1956. After his military service, Brinkley entered the
University of Georgia School of Law in
Athens, graduated with a
Juris Doctor degree in 1959, and became a practicing lawyer in
Columbus, Georgia. Brinkley's political career consisted of one term in the
Georgia House of Representatives from 1965 to 1966 and eight consecutive terms in the
U.S. House of Representatives beginning in 1967 and ending in 1983 when he chose not to run for re-election. Following his retirement, he relocated to
Columbus, Georgia. Brinkley died on January 23, 2019, at the age of 88. ==References==