William Cabell Bruce | |
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| United States Senator fromMaryland | |
| In office March 4, 1923 – March 4, 1929 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph I. France |
| Succeeded by | Phillips L. Goldsborough |
| Member of theMaryland Senate | |
| In office 1894-1896 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1860-03-12)March 12, 1860 Staunton Hill,Charlotte County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 9, 1946(1946-05-09) (aged 86) Ruxton, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 sons |
William Cabell Bruce (March 12, 1860 – May 9, 1946) was an American lawyer, politician andPulitzer Prize-winning writer who represented theState of Maryland in theUnited States Senate from 1923 to 1929.
Bruce was born atStaunton Hill inCharlotte County, Virginia to Charles Bruce (who had served in the Virginia state senate before the American Civil War) and his wife, the former Sarah Alexander Seddon (a sister ofJames Seddon). Educated at Norwood High School and College inNelson County, Virginia,[1] Bruce later attended theUniversity of Virginia where he bestedWoodrow Wilson in both a highly contested formal debate and an essay competition.[2] In 1882, Bruce graduated from theUniversity of Maryland School of Law.
Bruce was admitted to the Marylandbar the same year and began his legal career inBaltimore, Maryland which included administrative and political positions.[3]
Bruce began his political career in theMaryland Senate, serving from 1894 to 1896, and was appointed as president of the Senate in 1896. He served as head of the city law department of Baltimore from 1903 to 1908; as a member of the Baltimore Charter Commission in 1910; and as general counsel to theMaryland Public Service Commission from 1910 to 1922, at which time he resigned to become a U.S. Senator as described below.
Bruce unsuccessfully campaigned for the Democratic nomination for United States Senator in 1916, but succeeded not only in the primary but in the general election six years later in theelection of 1922. However,RepublicanPhillips Lee Goldsborough defeated Bruce in the nextelection in 1928. Bruce resumed the practice of law in Baltimore until 1937, when he retired.
As listed below, Bruce also wrote books, both fiction and non-fiction. He received aPulitzer Prize in 1918 for his bookBenjamin Franklin, Self-Revealed
Bruce married Louise Este Fisher on October 15, 1887. They had four sons, William Fisher Bruce,James Cabell Bruce, William Cabell Bruce, andDavid K. E. Bruce.
He died inRuxton, Maryland, on May 9, 1946. He is buried at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church Cemetery inGarrison, Maryland. TheLibrary of Congress holds his papers in its Manuscripts Division.[4]
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromMaryland (Class 1) 1922,1928 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | President of the Maryland State Senate 1896 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Maryland 1923–1929 Served alongside:Ovington Weller,Millard Tydings | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
Previously the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography from 1917–2022 | ||
| 1917–1925 |
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| 1926–1950 |
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| 1951–1975 |
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| 1976–2000 |
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| 2001–2025 |
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