Posted By:	Barbara Petura
	Email:
	Subject:	William George Bruce - Milwaukee leader, author
	Post Date:	March 28, 2006 at 21:50:38
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/bruce/messages/5437.html
	Forum:	Bruce Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/bruce/

William George Bruce was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 17, 1856, the oldest child of Augustus F. and Appolonia Becker Bruce. His grandfather Frederick Bruce and his wife first came to Milwaukee in 1842 with their three sons -- Augustus, John and Martin. The family came originally from Germany. Father Augustus worked as a sailor and then a ship carpenter, building vessels to sail the Great Lakes. Due to a childhood ailment, William George was unable to meet his father's hopes that he would be a ship carpenter as well. Instead, he first was a cigarmaker as a teenager, then a bookkeeper and reporter for Milwaukee newspapers including the Milwaukee Sentinel, and then founder of The Bruce Publishing Company. When his sons were able to take over operation of the publishing company, William George turned to public service leadership roles, especially the building and management of the Milwaukee Auditorium and leadership on the Milwaukee Harbor Commission. I have created an index to the book "I Was Born in America: the Memoir of William George Bruce." It can be found here: http://www.linkstothepast.com/milwaukee/1937bruceindex.html The first part of the index is for his family members including his parents, uncles, and several of his brothers [Albert, Augustus, Martin] and sisters. Also included are his wife Monica, his parents-in-law, and grandchildren. The second part of the index includes many Milwaukee citizens in politics, business, art, music, and journalism -- all people he met during his 93 years of life. A brief biographical sketch of William George Bruce, 1856-1949, is found on the Web page for the archive of his "Papers, 1843-1960." Find that here: http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/arch/findaids/msscu.htm A document on the abstract of the will of Augustus F. Bruce shows that his surname was alternatively spelled as Bruss. I would love to hear from any of the descendants of Augustus F. Bruce of Milwaukee.