Donald Cogley Bruce (April 27, 1921 – August 31, 1969) was an American broadcaster and politician who served two terms as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

from 1961 to 1965. He was a founder of the

American Conservative Union The American Conservative Union (ACU) is an American political organization that advocates for Conservatism in the United States, conservative policies, ranks politicians based on their level of conservatism, and organizes the Conservative Poli ...

Biography

Born in

Troutville, Pennsylvania Troutville is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 230 at the 2020 census. Geography Troutville is located near the western border of Clearfield County at (41.023829, - ...

, Bruce graduated from high school in

Allentown, Pennsylvania Allentown (Pennsylvania Dutch language, Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Allenschteddel'', ''Allenschtadt'', or ''Ellsdaun'') is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. The county seat of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, it is the List o ...

, and attended Muskingum College in

New Concord, Ohio New Concord () is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,361 as of the 2020 census. It is part of the Zanesville micropolitan area. New Concord is the home of Muskingum University and is served by a branch of t ...

. He was employed in the radio broadcasting industry for twenty years, serving as program director, business manager, and general manager.

Congress

In 1960 he was elected to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

as a Republican from Indiana, serving two terms before being defeated in the 1964

senatorial A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...

primary.

American Conservative Union

Following the

landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

defeat of U.S. Senator

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

in the November presidential election, Bruce joined with other conservatives to discuss responses to the seeming liberal triumph represented by

Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of John F. Ken ...

's reelection. This led to a subsequent meeting in December at which the nascent organization was named the

. Bruce was elected as the ACU's first chairman, a position he held until October of the following year. He also established Bruce Enterprises, a management and political consulting firm.

Death and burial

Bruce died of a heart attack on August 31, 1969''The New York Times''; New York, N.Y.; September 2, 1969. "Obituaries: Donald C. Bruce, 48, Ex-Representative" (Associated Press). in Round Hill, Virginia and is buried nearby.

References

Donald C. Bruce Finding Aid.
Indiana State Library, Rare Books and Manuscripts Division. 2015-07-31. Retrieved 2015-09-11. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Donald Cogley 1921 births 1969 deaths Muskingum University alumni American Lutherans People from Clearfield County, Pennsylvania People from Loudoun County, Virginia 20th-century Lutherans New Right (United States) Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives Members of the House Un-American Activities Committee

Biography

Congress

American Conservative Union

Death and burial

See also

References