Bruce Sundlun

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Bruce Sundlun (born January 19, 1920) is an attorney and American politician from the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Sundlun was member of the Democratic Party and served as governor of Rhode Island from 1991 to 1995. He was Rhode Island's second Jewish governor. Sundlun was a delegate in the 2000 Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island.

[edit] Early life

Sundlun was born in Providence and attended the Gordon School as a child. He received a B.A. from Williams College in 1942, and served during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot. He reached the rank of Captain and left the service at the end of the war in 1945. During the war he served in the England-based 384th Bomb Group was shot down over Nazi-occupied Belgium.

He received the Purple Heart, Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster. After returning to the U.S., he attended Harvard Law School, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1949.

[edit] 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 to Democratic 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 against Myrth 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.

[edit] References

• Index of the Bruce Sundlun Papers at the University of Rhode Island
• Providence Journal Profile of Bruce Sundlun

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