Bruce Sundlun
| Bruce Sundlun | |
|---|---|
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| 71st Governor of Rhode Island | |
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In office January 1, 1991 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Lieutenant | Roger N. Begin Robert Weygand |
| Preceded by | Edward D. DiPrete |
| Succeeded by | Lincoln Almond |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bruce George Sundlun January 19, 1920 Providence, Rhode Island |
| Died | July 21, 2011 (aged 91) Jamestown, Rhode Island |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Madeleine Schiffer (Eisner) Gimbel (1949-1965) Pamela (Soldwedel) Barrett (1966-1974) Joyanne Thomas Carter (1974-1985) Marjorie Lee (1985-1999) Susan Dittelman (2000-2011) |
| Alma mater | Williams College, Harvard Law School |
| Profession | attorney, businessman |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Military Order of Foreign Wars, Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Israeli Prime Minister's Medal |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 (active) 1945–1980 (reserves) |
| Rank |
Captain (active) Colonel (Air Force Reserves) |
| Commands | B-17F Damn Yankee |
| Battles/wars | World War II, Combined Bomber Offensive, Eighth Air Force; 384th Bomb Group; 545th Squadron; Grafton Underwood |
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Bruce Sundlun (born Bruce George Sundlun; January 19, 1920 – July 21, 2011) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as 71st Governor of Rhode Island from 1991 to 1995. He was Rhode Island's second Jewish governor, and the only Jewish governor in the United States during his two terms. In addition to politics, Sundlun had a varied career as a military pilot, federal attorney, practicing lawyer, corporate executive and university lecturer.
Sundlun was born in Providence on January 19, 1920, to Walter Irving Sundlun and Jennette "Jan" Zelda (Colitz) Sundlun. His grandparents were Lithuanian Jewish immigrants. Sundlun attended the Gordon School, Providence Classical High School and Tabor Academy. In 1933, while attending Boy Scout camp at Camp Yawgoog, he fell through ice on a pond and was rescued by a young John Chafee; and while in high school, he was a track star and excelled in long jump events. Upon finishing college classes begun in 1938, he received a B.A. from Williams College in 1946 after serving during World War II in the United States Army Air Forces flying B-17 bombers in the 8th Air Force in England. He attended Harvard Law School, graduating with a Doctor of Laws degree in 1949.
While still in college, Bruce Sundlun volunteered for service in the U.S. Army Air Forces Aviation Cadet Program on December 8, 1941, at Westover Field. He was trained as a four-engine bomber pilot at Maxwell Field in Alabama, after basic flight training at the USAAC Southeast Training Center at Orangeburg, South Carolina, the Greenville Army Air Field at Greenville, Mississippi, and George Field in Lawrenceville, Illinois.
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