Bruce Sundlun Gubernatorial Papers (Mss. Gr. 120)

Biographical note

Governor Bruce Sundlun has a long and successful career in business, politics, and the practice of law. A native Rhode Islander, Sundlun was born in Providence on January 19, 1920. His father Walter was a lawyer and active in state and local politics. The family lived on the east side of the city and the young Sundlun attended local public schools, including Classical High School.

After graduation from high school, Sundlun entered Williams College in Massachusetts. His college years were interrupted, however, by the beginning of World War II. Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sundlun enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Since he already had a private pilot's license, Sundlun was trained to fly the B-17 bomber. He was assigned to the 384th Bomb Group in England in early 1943 after a year's training in the United States.

On his thirteenth mission, Sundlun's aircraft was shot down over Belgium. Sundlun bailed out and spent six harrowing months in occupied Belgium and France before making his way to neutral Switzerland. After a stint with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), Sundlun was returned to his unit and then transferred to the Pacific theater. At war's end he left the active military service, having been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Cluster, and a Purple Heart.

Sundlun returned to college after the war, receiving a B.A. from Williams College in 1946 and a law degree from Harvard University in 1949. Upon graduation from Harvard, Sundlun began a lengthy business and legal career spanning more than thirty years. His legal career included stints as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Special Assistant to the Attorney General (1949-54), and partnerships in two law firms (1954-76). In the business world, he served as the President of Executive Jet Aviation (1970-76) and President, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Outlet Communications (1976-88). He continues to serve on the boards of directors of a number of companies from California to Jamaica.

Prior to his involvement in elective politics, Sundlun served on a number of civic boards and commissions in Rhode Island including the Capitol Center Commission, the Legislative Pay Commission, the Providence Review Commission, the Providence Housing Authority, and the Providence School Board.

In 1986, Sundlun sought and won the Democratic Party nomination for governor of Rhode Island. He was defeated in the general election by the incumbent Republican governor, Edward DiPrete. The two met in a rematch in 1988 with DiPrete winning again, though by a much narrower margin.

The DiPrete administration was rocked by a series of scandals between 1988 and 1990 and DiPrete was, as a result, a much weakened candidate in 1990. Sensing the opportunity to win the governor's office for the first time in six years, the Democratic Party leadership endorsed a more "traditional" politician for governor, Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino. Sundlun and Warwick Mayor Francis Flaherty challenged Paolino in a primary. Sundlun emerged victorious after a hard-fought primary campaign and earned the right to meet DiPrete for a third consecutive time in the general election of 1990.

Sundlun won an overwhelming victory at the Credit Union and polls in 1990. He was handily re-elected in 1992 after skillfully handling a potentially disastrous credit union and banking crisis in his first term. After initially promising not to seek a third term, Sundlun changed his mind and announced that he would be a candidate for re-election in the spring of 1994. Due to a change in the Rhode Island constitution, the 1994 election marked the first time that Rhode Island general officers, including the governor, would be elected to four year terms. Sundlun was challenged in the Democratic Party primary by state senator Myrth York. York defeated Sundlun in the primary and was herself defeated in the general election by Republican Party candidate Lincoln Almond.

In 1995 Sundlun became the University of Rhode Island's first Governor-in-Residence. He continues to teach two courses in Political Science Department and is engaged in fund-raising on behalf of the university. He also continues to have an active interest in politics as a frequent contributor to the op-ed page of the Providence Journal and as a guest political commentator on local television stations.