Wilber Brucker | |
|---|---|
 Bruckner by CJ Fox (Irving Resnikoff) | |
| 5thUnited States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office July 21, 1955 – January 19, 1961 | |
| President | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Robert T. Stevens |
| Succeeded by | Elvis Jacob Stahr Jr. |
| 32ndGovernor of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 1931 – January 1, 1933 | |
| Lieutenant | Luren Dickinson |
| Preceded by | Fred W. Green |
| Succeeded by | William Comstock |
| 35thAttorney General of Michigan | |
| In office February 16, 1928 – January 1, 1931 | |
| Governor | Fred W. Green |
| Preceded by | William Potter |
| Succeeded by | Paul W. Voorhies |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1894-06-23)June 23, 1894 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1968(1968-10-28) (aged 74) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Clara Hantel |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Ferdinand Brucker (father) |
| Education | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor(LLB) Hillsdale College(MA,PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Army National Guard United States Army Reserves |
| Years of service | 1916–1919 1919–1937 (Reserves) |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Unit | Michigan National Guard |
Wilber Marion Brucker (June 23, 1894 – October 28, 1968)[1] was an AmericanRepublicanpolitician. Born inSaginaw, Michigan, he served as the 32ndgovernor of Michigan from 1931 to 1933 and as theUnited States Secretary of the Army between July 21, 1955, and January 19, 1961.[1]
Brucker was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son ofDemocraticU.S. RepresentativeFerdinand Brucker. He graduated from theUniversity of Michigan Law School in 1916 and enlisted in theMichigan National Guard, serving with its 33rd Infantry Regiment on theMexican border during thePancho Villa Expedition from 1916 to 1917.[2] He attended Officer Training Camp atFort Sheridan, Illinois, and was commissioned a second lieutenant. Brucker served inFrance duringWorld War I with the 166th Infantry,42d Division, in theChâteau Thierry,St. Mihiel, andMeuse-Argonne operations, 1917–1918. He received theSilver Star andPurple Heart, and remained a member of the Officer Reserve Corps until 1937.[3]
A Republican, after the war, Brucker was assistant prosecuting attorney ofSaginaw County from 1919 to 1923, and then prosecuting attorney from 1923 to 1927. He married Clara Helen Hantel in 1923. He served as assistant attorney general of Michigan, 1927–1928, and asMichigan Attorney General, 1928–1930.[4]
In 1930 he was elected as Michigan's 32nd governor, serving one term until being defeated in 1932 byDemocratWilliam Comstock.[5][6] During his two years in office, the police force in Michigan increased and a new state police headquarters inLansing was authorized. Also Michigan enacted legislation that allowed grand juries to investigate allegations of municipal government fraud and mismanagement. In 1936, Brucker defeated incumbentU.S. SenatorJames Couzens in the Republican primary elections, but lost to DemocratPrentiss M. Brown in the general election.[7][8]
He was a member of the law firm of Clark, Klein, Brucker, and Waples, 1937–1954, and served asGeneral Counsel of the Department of Defense from 1954 to 1955, during theArmy–McCarthy hearings.[9]
In 1955, Brucker was appointed byU.S. PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower as Secretary of the Army, serving from July 21, 1955, to January 19, 1961.[10] Brucker administered the Army during a period of major technological advance, especially in the missile-satellite field, and at a time when the Army's place in the national defense structure was overshadowed by a philosophy of "massive retaliation". Under his direction the Army instituted a five-element (pentagonal) organization concept for the division, established aStrategic Army Corps for emergency reaction, launched the United States' first satellite,Explorer I, and adopted theArmy Flag.
Brucker returned to legal practice in Detroit with the firm of Brucker and Brucker, 1961–1968, and was a member of the Board of Directors ofFreedoms Foundation. He died in Detroit on October 28, 1968, and was buried atArlington National Cemetery.[11]
Brucker Hall atJoint Base Myer–Henderson Hall is named for him.[12]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of Michigan 1928–1931 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee for Governor of Michigan 1930,1932 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromMichigan (Class 2) 1936 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Michigan 1931–1933 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Army 1955–1961 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
