Exhibit 99.1

        BROOKE FRANCHISE CORPORATION ANNOUNCES APRIL FRANCHISE ADDITIONS

PR Newswire -- May 17, 2005

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Shawn Lowry,
President of Brooke Franchise Corporation, a subsidiary of Brooke
Corporation (Amex: BXX), announced selected April 2005 results.

Lowry announced that Brooke Franchise Corporation assisted franchisees and
others in the acquisition of businesses in the states of Alabama, Arizona,
California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee,
Texas, and Virginia. Lowry stated, "Primarily as a result of converting business
acquisitions into franchises and the start up of new franchises, Brooke
Franchise Corporation added 11 new franchise locations in April and received
approximately $2,954,000 in initial franchise and consulting fees." To help
observers put the April expansion into perspective, Lowry noted that an average
of 13 new franchise locations were added each month in the prior 12 months
resulting in an average of approximately $1,900,000 in initial franchise and
consulting fees each month.

About our company ... Brooke Franchise Corporation is a subsidiary of Brooke
Corporation (Amex: BXX) that distributes insurance, financial, and funeral
services through a network of more than 400 franchise locations. The Brooke
organization was founded on the belief that local business owners distribute
insurance and related services more efficiently than others if supported by a
franchise system.

Email Distribution ... To receive electronic press release alerts visit the
"Investor Relations" section of the Brooke Corporation website at
http://www.brookecorp.com and subscribe to our "Email Alerts" on-line.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Investors are
cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties,
and several factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those
in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could
cause actual results to differ from those indicated in the forward-looking
statements: the uncertainty that the Company will achieve its short-term and
long-term profitability and growth goals, uncertainties associated with market
acceptance of and demand for the Company's products and services, the impact of
competitive products and pricing, the dependence on third party suppliers and
their pricing, its ability to meet product demand, the availability of funding
sources, the exposure to market risks, uncertainties associated with the
development of technology, changes in the law and in economic, political and
regulatory environments, changes in management, the dependence on intellectual
property rights, and the effectiveness of internal controls. Investors are
directed to Brooke Corporation's most recent annual and quarterly reports, which
are available from Brooke Corporation without charge or at http://www.sec.gov ,
for a more complete description of Brooke's business.

SOURCE  Brooke Corporation
    -0-                             05/17/2005
    /CONTACT:  Anita Larson, Brooke Corporation, larsa@brookecorp.com or
+1-913-661-0123/
    /Web site:  http://www.brookecorp.com