Terry L. Bruce

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Terry L. Bruce
Chief Executive Officer of the Illinois Eastern Community College System
In office
March 1996 – June 30, 2019
Succeeded byMarilyn Holt (acting)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 19th district
In office
January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993
Preceded byDan Crane
Succeeded byGlenn Poshard
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office
January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1985
Preceded byPaul W. Broyles
Succeeded byWilliam L. O'Daniel
Constituency55th district (1971–1973)
54th district (1973–1985)
Personal details
Born
Terry Lee Bruce

(1944-03-25) March 25, 1944 (age 80)
Olney, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCharlotte Bruce
Children2
EducationUniversity of Illinois (BA, JD)

Terry Lee Bruce (born March 25, 1944) is an American politician, lawyer, and educator from Illinois.

Early life

Bruce was born in Olney, Illinois on March 25, 1944. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and then later the University of Illinois College of Law. He worked for a time at the United States Department of Labor on issues related to farmworkers and as an intern on the staff of Tom McGloon. He also worked on the staffs of Congressman George Shipley and State Senator Philip Benefiel.[1]

He was admitted to the bar in 1969. When he announced his candidacy for the Illinois Senate in November 1969, he was occupied as an attorney in Olney, Illinois.[2]

State Senate

Bruce's initial election to the Illinois Senate representing the 55th District in 1971 was in part made possible by the retirement of the incumbent, Paul W. Broyles.[2] In 1972, the incumbent Bruce faced a challenge from Henry Hendren for representation of the 54th district.[3]

While in the Senate, he was a leader of the Democratic Study Group which he jokingly termed the "Crazy 8".[4] In 1977, Bruce ran against Thomas Hynes to succeed Cecil Partee as President of the Illinois Senate. After 186 ballots, Hynes was victorious over the other Democratic faction and the Republican caucus.[5]

Bruce served as member of the Illinois Senate from 1971–84, and assistant majority leader from 1975–84. In 1981, Bruce was among those who opposed an "eleventh-hour action", ultimately accepted, to increase Illinois General Assembly compensation.[6] Bruce resigned from the Illinois Senate effective January 3, 1985. Local Democratic leaders appointed former state legislator William L. O'Daniel to the vacancy created by Bruce's resignation.[7]

Congress

In 1977, Democratic incumbent George E. Shipley chose to retire after ten terms in the United States House of Representatives rather than run in the 1978 election. Bruce defeated Don Watson, Shipley's brother-in-law, for the Democratic nomination to succeed Shipley in Illinois's 22nd congressional district. Subsequently, in the general election there was an apathy towards Bruce's candidacy. Republican candidate Dan Crane, the brother of Chicago-area Congressman Phil Crane, was able to win several Democratic strongholds in the 22nd and the election.[8]

On July 14, 1983, the House Ethics Committee recommended that Crane be reprimanded for having engaged in a sexual relationship a 17-year-old female house page.[9] In the 1984 United States House of Representatives election, Bruce defeated Crane.[10]

Bruce was elected to the Ninety-ninth and to the three succeeding Congresses and served as United States Representative for Illinois's 19th congressional district from January 3, 1985 to January 3, 1993. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1992 to the 103rd Congress.[11]

Community college career

From 1996 to 2019 Bruce served as the chief executive officer of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC). The four college system includes Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Olney Central College in Olney, Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, and Frontier Community College in Fairfield.

Governor Pat Quinn appointed him to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) in September 2012. He replaced former ICCB member Dianne Meeks. He still serves on the board with an expiring term of June 30, 2021.[12] He at one point served as Vice Chairman of the board.[13] Bruce was appointed again to the ICCB by Governor Bruce Rauner for a term March 20, 2015 until June 30, 2015 to succeed Rodolfo Valdez.[14]

Family life

A resident of Olney, Illinois, Bruce is married to Charlotte and they have two daughters, Emily and Ellen.[15]

References

  1. ^ Lewis, John W. (ed.). Illinois Blue Book 1971–1972. p. 172. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Olney Attorney Announces for State Senate". Mt. Vernon Register-News. Vol. L, no. 45. November 20, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved August 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "Hendron, Bruce Win State Senate Races". Mt. Vernon Register-News. March 22, 1972. Retrieved 2015-08-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Heinecke, Burnell. "New force in Senate: They call themselves The Crazy 8". Illinois Issues. 2 (1). Sangamon State University: 21–23. ISSN 0738-9663. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Buzbee, Ken (2012). "The 1977 Illinois Senate Presidency Fight: An Oral History Project" (PDF). The Simon Review. 28 (1). Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Pay Increases OK'd". The Pantagraph. January 15, 1981. Retrieved August 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^ "83rd General Assembly Regular Session January 9, 1985 Transcript" (PDF). Illinois Senate. January 9, 1985. p. 2. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  8. ^ Manning, Al. "Crane beats Bruce in 22nd District". Illinois Issues. 5 (1). Sangamon State University: 14–16. ISSN 0738-9663. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  9. ^ [1] | ARCHIVES | 1983 | HOUSE CENSURES CRANE AND STUDDS FOR SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH PAGES | STEVEN V. ROBERTS and SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES | [2]
  10. ^ Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988. p. 381. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  11. ^ Van Der Slik, Jack R. "Congressional ocean changing: Illinois delegation caught in waves". Illinois Issues. 18 (7). Sangamon State University: 8. ISSN 0738-9663. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  12. ^ Terry L. Bruce
  13. ^ IECC DISTRICT CEO TERRY BRUCE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT PLANS
  14. ^ "Appointment Message 990127". Illinois General Assembly. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  15. ^ "Terry L. Bruce". Illinois Community College Board. Retrieved February 12, 2014.

External links

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Illinois Senate
Preceded by Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 55th district
1971–1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 54th district
1973–1985 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois's 19th congressional district
1985–1993 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
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