Bruce, Blanche Kelso, 1841-1898

U.S. senator and state legislator from Mississippi.

From the description of Papers of Blanche Kelso Bruce, 1878-1890. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71062579

• 1841 March 1: Born a slave in Farmville, Prince Edward County, Virginia.
• 1866 - 1868 : Attended Oberlin College, Oberlin Ohio.
• 1869 Feb.: Moved to Mississippi - worked as a planter.
• 1870 Jan.: Elected Sergeant-at-Arms of the Mississippi Senate.
• 1871: Elected Sheriff and tax assessor of Bolivar County, Mississippi.
• 1872: Delegate to the National Republican Convention
• 1874: Elected to U.S. Senate representing the State of Mississippi.
• 1875 - 1881 : Began his fall term as a U.S. Senator.
• 1878 June 24: Married Josephine of Cleveland; union produced one son - Roscoe C. Bruce.
• 1880: Presided over the Republican National Convention in Chicago (the first of his race to do so)
• 1881 - 1885 : Appointed Register of the Treasury by President Garfield.
• 1889: Appointed Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia by President Benjamin Harrison.
• 1893: Howard University conferred upon him the Honorary degree of LL.D.
• 1894 - 1898 : Elected trustee of Howard University.
• 1897: Reappointed Register of the Treasury by President McKinley.
• 1898 March 17: Died in Washington, D.C.

Blanche K. Bruce had the distinguished honor of being the first of his race to serve a full six year term in the United States Senate, 1875 to 1881, and the first of his race to preside over the National Republican Convention of 1880 held in Chicago.

From the guide to the Blanche K. Bruce Papers, 1870-1891, (Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University)