Bruce Sundlun Gubernatorial Papers: Campaign Files

University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Published in 1998

Collection Overview

Title:	Bruce Sundlun Gubernatorial Papers: Campaign Files
Date range:	1984-1994
Creator:	Sundlun, Bruce G., 1920-2011
Extent:	36 box(es) 18 linear feet
Abstract:	Bruce G. Sundlun served as governor of Rhode Island from 1991 to 1994. These papers consist of documents relating to his campaigns between 1986 and 1994.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections
Collection number:	Mss. Gr. 120A

Scope & content

Bruce Sundlun served as Governor of Rhode Island from January 1, 1991 to December 31,1994. The records in this manuscript group document Sundlun's five campaigns for governor. The records are arranged into five separate series for each of the five election campaigns. Sundlun's gubernatorial records are organized as a separate record group, Manuscript Group 120 (MSG#120).

Series I, Campaign Files 1986 (1984-1986) contains documents from Sundlun's first gubernatorial election in Rhode Island. Noteworthy files include Governor Edward DiPrete, Official Count of the Ballots Cast for 1986 and the Annual Report of the Division of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures which lists candidates and their contributors during the 1984 gubernatorial election. Sundlun lost this election to DiPrete. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date.

Series II, Campaign Files 1988, (1980 - [1988- 1989]) contains documents from Sundlun's second unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign. During this campaign, Sundlun collected information relating to Governor Edward DiPrete and the DiPrete Land Deal. A question of Sundlun's Rhode Island residency brought by DiPrete resulted in a challenge to the Board of Elections and the court case Sundlun v. DiPrete. Also included in the series are files relating to the Outlet Company (a communications company owned by Sundlun) and Governor Michael Dukakis who unsuccessfully ran for the office of President of the United States. The Finances file contains campaign and expenditure reports and campaign budgets. The series also includes several press releases and speeches including announcement speeches, stump speeches, and his concession speech. In addition, Sundlun collected documents to form policies on economic development, the elderly, freshwater wetlands and property tax relief. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically.

Series III, Campaign Files 1990 , (1984- [1988 - 1990] ) contains documents from Sundlun's third gubernatorial campaign. Sundlun defeated the incumbent, Governor Edward DiPrete, to become the next governor of Rhode Island. This series includes research files on topics such as campaign finance law, Department for Children and Their Families, Department of Corrections and the Rhode Island budget. In addition, files used to develop policies include Economic Development, Environmental Policy, Homelessness, and Mental Health, Retardation and Hospitals. Sundlun's political positions are documented in his campaign briefing book and press releases. Campaign Strategies can be found in the files of David Preston, an advisor to the Sundlun campaign. The Finances file contains campaign and expenditure reports and campaign budgets. Related financial subject files include contributions, fundraising, and invoices. Correspondence and memoranda are included in the following files: Campaign Memos,; Correspondence, Letters: Incoming,; Letters: Outgoing, and Political Chronology. The series also contains numerous speeches including a Stump Speech, the State of the State Address, and an inaugural address located in the Inauguration file. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date.

Series IV, Campaign Files 1992, (1988- [1991-1992]) contains documents from Sundlun's fourth gubernatorial campaign. Sundlun won the election and continued as Governor of Rhode Island for a second term. During this campaign, Sundlun wrote an autobiography for distribution to voters entitled Hope: A Vision for Rhode Island's Future. This series also contains an extensive amount of financial documents including campaign deposits, contributions, finances, fundraising, and invoices. Sundlun made several campaign promises which are listed in his Campaign Promise Report. The report is subdivided by subjects such as education, housing, and substance abuse and is followed by a Campaign Promises Summary Report. Sundlun collected information pertaining to his opponent Elizabeth Leonard, as well as campaign finance law, the Democratic Governors' Association and NARAL. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date.

Series V, Campaign Files 1994, (1993 - 1994) contains documents from Sundlun's fifth and last gubernatorial campaign. He lost the Democratic Primary to Myrth York. Sundlun's political positions are included in his Campaign Briefing Book. During his previous campaigns, Sundlun vowed that he could improve the state of Rhode Island in four years. Justifications Or a third term as governor ate included in the Campaign Strategies File The series contains several financial files including a Campaign Deposit Report, Campaign Deposits, Finances, Fundraising, and Invoices. Correspondence, Incoming Letters, and Photographs are also included in the series. The License Plate Number Seven file contains documents pertaining to the legality of Sundlun's possession of this license plate number. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into five series as follows:

• 1. Campaign Files 1986
• 2. Campaign Files 1988
• 3. Campaign Files 1990
• 4. Campaign Files 1992
• 5. Campaign Files 1994

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.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	Any qualified person doing scholarly research is permitted to use material housed in the Special Collections Unit.
Use of the materials:	Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
Preferred citation:	Bruce Sundlun Gubernatorial Papers: Campaign Files, Mss. Gr. 120A, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections.
Contact information:	University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The collection was donated by Bruce G. Sundlun to the Special Collections Unit in 1996.
Processing information:	The collection was processed by Kevin Logan in 1998.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Dr. Kevin J. Logan.
Encoding:	Finding aid encoded by Dr. Kevin J. Logan 1998, updated by Erin C. Mullen on 2012 February 07, updated by Mark Dionne on2020 April 29
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

---

Inventory