William George Bruce
Encyclopedia
William George Bruce was a Milwaukee author, publisher of educational, historical and religious books, and founder of the American School Board Journal. He was a noted civic leader for the Milwaukee School Board, the Milwaukee harbor and the Milwaukee Auditorium, and active in Milwaukee and state politics.
, the first of ten children of Augustus F. Bruce and Apollonia Becker. His father was a ship's carpenter helping build vessels to sail the Great Lakes
.
William's early education was at home due to illness, although he attended St. Mary's parish school when he was eleven. Early jobs including cigar
making. He attended night school for a time in Milwaukee and also in Louisville, Kentucky
, where he worked in a picture frame factory. On return to Milwaukee, he studied at the Spencerian Business College.
.
In 1891, Bruce set out on his own, launching the American School Board Journal. He had discovered a need for practical information for members of school boards while serving on the Milwaukee school board
from 1889 to 1894, representing the Fifth Ward
. This led to establishment of the Bruce Publishing Company that eventually published other journals as well as books in education, history, religion and technical topics. In time, Bruce brought his sons William Conrad Bruce and Frank Milton Bruce into the publishing company in operational and leadership roles. Nonetheless, he maintained the title of president until his death.
In 1914, the company launched Industrial Arts and Vocational Education, the shop teachers' professional magazine, and three years later began publishing technical books. Both initiatives were spurred by Bruce's conviction that technical training was vital to America's progress.
The publishing firm operated for 77 years until it was purchased in 1968 by Crowell Collier and McMillan. During that time it had published 2,000 books as well as numerous journals, magazines and pamphlets. For many years it had been considered the largest Catholic publishing firm in the world.
While a member of the Milwaukee School Board, he helped advocate for a high school for the city's south side, resulting in the establishment of South Side High School on September 5, 1893. In 1893, Bruce was manager of the city's educational exhibits at the Chicago Columbian Exposition; he also was manager of Wisconsin's educational exhibits at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition, officially the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
. He served from 1907-1919 as secretary of the Merchants' and Manufacturers Association in Milwaukee, an organization that advanced trade and business in Milwaukee and promoted the city across the nation.
Construction of the 1909 Milwaukee Auditorium and its operation are closely associated with William George Bruce. He was on the 1905 committee that first began planning a replacement for the city's Exposition Building that had burned down in June of that year. He was president of the Auditorium board in 1911-1912 and still a member of the board on March 17, 1946, when The Milwaukee Journal newspaper did a feature story, “Milwaukee's Grand Old Man,” on Bruce's 90th birthday.
On November 22, 1911, he became chair of the new Milwaukee Harbor Commission of nine citizens which was to advise the Milwaukee Common Council. He served in that capacity until 1920 when the city created the five-member Board of Harbor Commissioners. He was elected chairman, a post he held until 1949. William George. Bruce thus led harbor affairs for Milwaukee for a total of 38 years. In addition, he served as a member and at times as president of the Wisconsin Deep Waterways Commission, the St. Lawrence Tidewater Association, and a number of similar organizations that aimed to connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1921, Bruce helped found and was elected one of three directors of the original Milwaukee County Historical Society. In 1922, Bruce was one of eighteen members of the Marquette University
Board of Regents. From 1930 to 1947, he was a member of the Board of Curators of the Wisconsin Historical Society
and served for a time as vice president. He was remembered as a “maker of history” in a eulogy in the Wisconsin Magazine of History at the time of his death. The first eleven chapters of his memoirs were published in the society's magazine during 1932-1934.
He also wrote his memoirs, titled I Was Born in America (1937), with both personal and Milwaukee history depicted. Other works include the School Board Manual; A Reference Work on School Administrative Labors for the Use of School Authorities (1904), School architecture: a handy manual for the use of architects and school (1906), The Story of the Auditorium (1923), The commercial secretary: self-training, functions and relations (1923), and Holy Trinity Church, 1850-1925 (1925).
awarded him its certificate for distinctive civic service. Other recognitions include the naming of the William George Bruce Elementary School on North 89th Street in Milwaukee in his honor and the 1929 renaming of Park Place as West Bruce Street, recognizing his service to Milwaukee's auditorium and harbor.
Recognition for service to the Catholic Church and education include being made a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Benedict XV
in 1920, for contributions to education and charity, and receiving the 1947 University of Notre Dame
Laetare Medal
for championing the cause of education through his publications.
On May 4, 1881, in Milwaukee, William George Bruce married Monica Moehring, daughter of Conrad Moehring and Renatta (Buehler) Moehring. Their children were William Conrad Bruce (1882–1974), Frank Milton Bruce (1885–1953) and Monica Marie Bruce (1891–1986). Monica Moehring Bruce died January 4, 1938, and William George Bruce died August 13, 1949.
and now hosts varied performances including concerts, Broadway musicals, family shows and assemblies. The Milwaukee Harbor Commission continues to supervise the operations of the Port of Milwaukee
and harbor development and improvement. The port and harbor are seen today, as in Bruce's time, as important to the economic stability and growth of Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
In his will, William George Bruce left a distinctive legacy to his native city. He made a bequest of $30,000 for creation of a statue honoring immigrant mothers including his own mother, Apollonia Becker Bruce, who was born near Trier
, Germany
. The noted Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović
received the commission for the sculpture Immigrant Mother
that stands today in Milwaukee's Cathedral Square Park
.
Early life and education
William George Bruce was born March 17, 1856, in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, the first of ten children of Augustus F. Bruce and Apollonia Becker. His father was a ship's carpenter helping build vessels to sail the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
.
William's early education was at home due to illness, although he attended St. Mary's parish school when he was eleven. Early jobs including cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
making. He attended night school for a time in Milwaukee and also in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, where he worked in a picture frame factory. On return to Milwaukee, he studied at the Spencerian Business College.
Career
His career in the publishing field began in 1874 when he was hired as a clerk of the Milwaukee Daily News. Then in 1880 he was hired as a cashier for the Milwaukee Sentinel and also served as assistant business manager. The Sentinel had started in 1837 as a weekly, published by Solomon Juneau, one of Milwaukee's three founders, and became a daily in the 1840s. The paper is now part of the Milwaukee Journal SentinelMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
.
In 1891, Bruce set out on his own, launching the American School Board Journal. He had discovered a need for practical information for members of school boards while serving on the Milwaukee school board
Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Schools is the largest school district in Wisconsin. As of 2007, it had an enrollment of 87,360 students, and as of 2006 employed 6,100 full-time and substitute teachers in 223 schools. The Milwaukee Public Schools system is the 33rd largest in the United States by enrollment...
from 1889 to 1894, representing the Fifth Ward
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
. This led to establishment of the Bruce Publishing Company that eventually published other journals as well as books in education, history, religion and technical topics. In time, Bruce brought his sons William Conrad Bruce and Frank Milton Bruce into the publishing company in operational and leadership roles. Nonetheless, he maintained the title of president until his death.
In 1914, the company launched Industrial Arts and Vocational Education, the shop teachers' professional magazine, and three years later began publishing technical books. Both initiatives were spurred by Bruce's conviction that technical training was vital to America's progress.
The publishing firm operated for 77 years until it was purchased in 1968 by Crowell Collier and McMillan. During that time it had published 2,000 books as well as numerous journals, magazines and pamphlets. For many years it had been considered the largest Catholic publishing firm in the world.
Public service
Bruce filled varied leadership roles helping to advance his native city. He is perhaps best remembered for his work and advocacy for the Milwaukee Auditorium and Milwaukee's harbor, both seen as important to the city's life and economy.While a member of the Milwaukee School Board, he helped advocate for a high school for the city's south side, resulting in the establishment of South Side High School on September 5, 1893. In 1893, Bruce was manager of the city's educational exhibits at the Chicago Columbian Exposition; he also was manager of Wisconsin's educational exhibits at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition, officially the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Louisiana Purchase Exposition
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the Saint Louis World's Fair, was an international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States in 1904.- Background :...
. He served from 1907-1919 as secretary of the Merchants' and Manufacturers Association in Milwaukee, an organization that advanced trade and business in Milwaukee and promoted the city across the nation.
Construction of the 1909 Milwaukee Auditorium and its operation are closely associated with William George Bruce. He was on the 1905 committee that first began planning a replacement for the city's Exposition Building that had burned down in June of that year. He was president of the Auditorium board in 1911-1912 and still a member of the board on March 17, 1946, when The Milwaukee Journal newspaper did a feature story, “Milwaukee's Grand Old Man,” on Bruce's 90th birthday.
On November 22, 1911, he became chair of the new Milwaukee Harbor Commission of nine citizens which was to advise the Milwaukee Common Council. He served in that capacity until 1920 when the city created the five-member Board of Harbor Commissioners. He was elected chairman, a post he held until 1949. William George. Bruce thus led harbor affairs for Milwaukee for a total of 38 years. In addition, he served as a member and at times as president of the Wisconsin Deep Waterways Commission, the St. Lawrence Tidewater Association, and a number of similar organizations that aimed to connect the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1921, Bruce helped found and was elected one of three directors of the original Milwaukee County Historical Society. In 1922, Bruce was one of eighteen members of the Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
Board of Regents. From 1930 to 1947, he was a member of the Board of Curators of the Wisconsin Historical Society
Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society is simultaneously a private membership and a state-funded organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of North America, with an emphasis on the state of Wisconsin and the trans-Allegheny West...
and served for a time as vice president. He was remembered as a “maker of history” in a eulogy in the Wisconsin Magazine of History at the time of his death. The first eleven chapters of his memoirs were published in the society's magazine during 1932-1934.
Book author
William George Bruce wrote and edited a number of books on the history of Milwaukee, including Milwaukee's Century of Progress (1918), A Short History of Milwaukee (1936) for school children, The Builders of Milwaukee (1946) for the city's centennial, and the three-volume History of Milwaukee, City and County (1922) to which he contributed several chapters for the first volume and edited the entire set including the two volumes of biographies.He also wrote his memoirs, titled I Was Born in America (1937), with both personal and Milwaukee history depicted. Other works include the School Board Manual; A Reference Work on School Administrative Labors for the Use of School Authorities (1904), School architecture: a handy manual for the use of architects and school (1906), The Story of the Auditorium (1923), The commercial secretary: self-training, functions and relations (1923), and Holy Trinity Church, 1850-1925 (1925).
Politics
Bruce's involvement in the political realm began when he served as chairman of the Democratic city and county committee from 1896-1906. During 1904-1906, he was a Milwaukee tax commissioner. In 1906 he ran for mayor of Milwaukee and in 1925 was a Democratic candidate running to succeed U.S. Senator Robert M. LaFollette, Sr. He lost both elections.Recognition
Several awards and honors were presented to William George Bruce, recognizing his service to education, to Milwaukee and to the Catholic Church. He received the 1935 Distinguished Service Medal from the Cosmopolitan Club for his untiring service to Milwaukee. The club recognized him as the “dean of civic affairs” and Milwaukee's “public citizen No. 1.” Marquette UniversityMarquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
awarded him its certificate for distinctive civic service. Other recognitions include the naming of the William George Bruce Elementary School on North 89th Street in Milwaukee in his honor and the 1929 renaming of Park Place as West Bruce Street, recognizing his service to Milwaukee's auditorium and harbor.
Recognition for service to the Catholic Church and education include being made a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
in 1920, for contributions to education and charity, and receiving the 1947 University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
Laetare Medal
Laetare Medal
The Laetare Medal is an annual award given by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Roman Catholic church and society...
for championing the cause of education through his publications.
Family
William George Bruce had three brothers and five sisters, all children of Augustus F. Bruce and Apollonia (Becker) Bruce. They included Albert J. Bruce, Augustus I. Bruce, Emma Bruce, Ida G. Bruce, Clara E. Bruce, Martin P. Bruce, Emily Bruce and Apollonia Bruce.On May 4, 1881, in Milwaukee, William George Bruce married Monica Moehring, daughter of Conrad Moehring and Renatta (Buehler) Moehring. Their children were William Conrad Bruce (1882–1974), Frank Milton Bruce (1885–1953) and Monica Marie Bruce (1891–1986). Monica Moehring Bruce died January 4, 1938, and William George Bruce died August 13, 1949.
Legacy
The Milwaukee Auditorium building near the corner of 6th and Kilbourn still stands. After extensive renovation in 2001-2003, it was renamed the Milwaukee TheatreMilwaukee Theatre
The Milwaukee Theatre is a theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The building was extensively renovated from 2001-2003, at which point it received its current name. It seats 4,086 people and can be configured into a more intimate venue that seats 2,500. It is located at 500 W...
and now hosts varied performances including concerts, Broadway musicals, family shows and assemblies. The Milwaukee Harbor Commission continues to supervise the operations of the Port of Milwaukee
Port of Milwaukee
The Port of Milwaukee is a port in the city of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan. It primarily serves Southeastern Wisconsin along with Northern Illinois. The port owns of rail that connect to two class I railroads outside the port. The port also has over of covered warehouse space, with of that being...
and harbor development and improvement. The port and harbor are seen today, as in Bruce's time, as important to the economic stability and growth of Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
In his will, William George Bruce left a distinctive legacy to his native city. He made a bequest of $30,000 for creation of a statue honoring immigrant mothers including his own mother, Apollonia Becker Bruce, who was born near Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The noted Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović
Ivan Meštrovic
Ivan Meštrović was a Croatian and Yugoslav sculptor and architect born in Vrpolje, Croatia...
received the commission for the sculpture Immigrant Mother
Immigrant Mother (sculpture)
Immigrant Mother is a public artwork by Croatian artist Ivan Meštrović located in Cathedral Square Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The bronze sculpture sits on a red granite base and depicts a mother with her children.-Description:...
that stands today in Milwaukee's Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park is a small urban Milwaukee County Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, located to the west of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist-History:...
.
External links
- William George Bruce, in Wisconsin Historical Society Dictionary of Wisconsin History.
- William George Bruce, in History of Milwaukee, City and County, 1922.
- William George Bruce in Marquis Who's Who Volume 7, 1913.
- Papers of William George Bruce, 1895-1955, Milwaukee County Historical Society.
- Papers of William George Bruce, 1881-1978, University of West Florida Libraries.
- History of Milwaukee, City and County, 1922, William George Bruce, editor. Three volumes online.