- Bruce Sundlun
Bruce Sundlun (born
January 19 1920 ) was a member of the Democratic Party and served asgovernor of Rhode Island from 1991 to 1995. He was Rhode Island's second Jewish governor. Sundlun was a delegate in the2000 Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island.Early life
Sundlun was born in Providence and attended the
Gordon School as a child. He received a B.A. fromWilliams College in 1942, and served duringWorld War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps as aB-17 Flying Fortress pilot. He reachedthe rank of Captain and left the service at the end of the war in1945 . During the war he served in theEngland -based 384th Bomb Group and was shot--------
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Belgium .He received the
Purple Heart , Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Distinguished Flying Cross, andAir Medal withoak leaf cluster . After returning to the U.S., he attendedHarvard Law School , graduating with aBachelor of Laws degree in 1949.Career
From 1949 to 1951, Sundlun served as an assistant
U.S. attorney . From 1954 to 1972, he was a special assistant to U.S. attorney general. Sundlun also was a delegate toDemocratic National Convention in 1964, 1968, 1980, 1988, and 2000, as well as to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention of 1985.Sundlun lost the Rhode Island governorship in 1986 and 1988 but won it in his third try in 1990, defeating incumbent governor
Edward D. DiPrete in a landslide victory 74%-26%. In 1994, he failed to win the Democratic primary againstMyrth York .The Bruce Sundlun Terminal at
T.F. Green Airport is named in his honor.Sundlun currently teaches at the
University of Rhode Island and is still active in the Democratic party in Rhode Island.He is the father of WFSB anchor Kara Sundlun and Father-in-law to WFSB anchor Dennis House. Sundlun also has 3 sons from his first marriage to Madeliene Gimbal.
See also
References
* [http://www.uri.edu/library/special_collections/political_papers/sundlun/title.html Index of the Bruce Sundlun Papers at the University of Rhode Island]
* [http://www.projo.com/extra/2006/sundlun/ Providence Journal Profile of Bruce Sundlun]
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