David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce (February 12, 1898 – December 5, 1977) was an American diplomat, intelligence officer and politician. He served as ambassador to France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United Kingdom, the only American to be all three.
During World War II, Bruce headed the Europe branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which was based in London and coordinated espionage activities behind enemy lines for the United States Armed Forces branches. Other OSS functions included the use of propaganda, subversion, and post-war planning. He observed the invasion of Normandy landing there the day after the initial invasion.[5]
After leaving the OSS at the end of World War II, and before entering the diplomatic field, in 1948–1949 David Bruce was with the Economic Cooperation Administration which administered the Marshall Plan. It was during this time that David Bruce and his new 2nd wife became an early member of the informal Georgetown Set within D.C.
Bruce served as the Honorary Chair on the Board of Trustees of the American School in London during his diplomatic career in the United Kingdom.[8]
President John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) appointed Bruce as ambassador to the Court of St James's (i.e. the United Kingdom). After Kennedy's death President Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) kept Bruce but ignored all his recommendations. Bruce sought closer ties with Britain and greater European unity. Bruce's reports regarding Britain's financial condition were pessimistic and alarmist. With regard to Vietnam, Bruce privately questioned U.S. involvement and constantly urged the Johnson administration to allow Britain more of a role in bringing the conflict to an end.[9]
Personal life and death
On May 29, 1926, Bruce married Ailsa Mellon, the daughter of the banker and diplomat Andrew W. Mellon.[10] They divorced on April 20, 1945. Their only daughter, Audrey, and her husband, Stephen Currier, were presumed dead when a plane in which they were flying in the Caribbean disappeared on January 17, 1967, after requesting permission to fly over Culebra, a U. S. Navy installation. No trace of the plane, pilot, or passengers was ever found. Audrey and Stephen Currier left three children: Andrea, Lavinia, and Michael.
The David K.E. Bruce Award was established in 2007 at the American School in London.[8]
Publications
Bruce wrote a book of biographical essays on the American presidents originally published as Seven Pillars of the Republic (1936). He later expanded it as Revolution to Reconstruction (1939) and again revised it as Sixteen American Presidents (1962).
^David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce; Nelson D. Lankford (January 1991). OSS Against the Reich: The World War II Diaries of Colonel David K.E. Bruce. Kent State University Press. p. 35. ISBN978-0-87338-427-8.
^Tim Weiner, The Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA (London: Allen Lane, 2007), p. 133.
^"David Bruce, 75, Selected To Head Office in Peking". The New York Times. March 16, 1973. Retrieved December 8, 2009. President Nixon announced today that he had recalled Ambassador David K. E. Bruce from retirement to head a United States liaison office in Peking.
^ abSchool Web site December 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 20, 2010.
^Jonathan Colman, "The London Ambassadorship of David KE Bruce During the Wilson-Johnson Years, 1964–68." Diplomacy and Statecraft 15.2 (2004): 327-352. online
^ abPitz, Marylynne (November 15, 2009). "Ailsa Mellon Bruce's artworks part of Carnegie collection". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 8, 2009. In 1926, the beautiful, reserved and stubborn young woman married David K. E. Bruce, a talented lawyer and the son of Maryland Sen. William C. Bruce. For wedding presents, A.W. Mellon gave his daughter a pearl necklace valued at $100,000 and a 200-acre estate in Syosset, Long Island.
^Barron, James (December 14, 1995). "Evangeline Bruce, 77, Hostess Known for Washington Soirees". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
^Owens, Mitchell (March 16, 1995). "AT HOME WITH: Evangeline Bruce; The Improbable Author". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
^"Virginia Surtees, scholar of Pre-Raphaelite art – obituary". The Telegraph. October 25, 2017 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
^. Chicago Tribune. December 6, 1977. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2009. David K. E. Bruce, a veteran American diplomat who served in a variety of posts including mainland China, died of a heart attack Monday at Georgetown University Medical Center. He was 79.
^"Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, D.C. (Chapel) - Lot 19" (PDF). oakhillcemeterydc.org. (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
Further reading
External video
Presentation by Nelson Lankford on The Last American Aristocrat, August 23, 1996, C-SPAN
Colman, Jonathan. "The London Ambassadorship of David KE Bruce During the Wilson-Johnson Years, 1964–68." Diplomacy and Statecraft 15.2 (2004): 327-352. online
Lankford, Nelson D. The Last American Aristocrat: The Biography of David K. E. Bruce, 1898–1977 (1996).
Lankford, Nelson D., ed. OSS against the Reich: The World War II Diaries of Colonel David K. E. Bruce (1991).
Young, John W. "David K. E. Bruce, 1961–69." in The Embassy in Grosvenor Square (Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2012), 153-170.
External links
First Chapter of 'The Last American Aristocrat' published by the Washington Post with permission of the author
Review of the book, "The Last American Aristocrat" from The Washington Monthly magazine
Oral history interview with David K. E. Bruce, 1 March 1972, at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library
David K. E. Bruce's archives at the "Fondation Jean Monnet"
david, bruce, david, kirkpatrick, este, bruce, february, 1898, december, 1977, american, diplomat, intelligence, officer, politician, served, ambassador, france, federal, republic, germany, united, kingdom, only, american, three, excellencybruce, 196210th, uni. David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce February 12 1898 December 5 1977 was an American diplomat intelligence officer and politician He served as ambassador to France the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Kingdom the only American to be all three His ExcellencyDavid K E BruceBruce in 196210th United States Ambassador to NATOIn office October 17 1974 February 12 1976Appointed byGerald FordPreceded byDonald RumsfeldSucceeded byRobert Strausz HupeChief of the U S Liaison Office to the People s Republic of ChinaIn office May 14 1973 September 25 1974PresidentRichard NixonGerald FordPreceded byDiplomatic relations establishedSucceeded byGeorge H W BushUnited States Ambassador to the United KingdomIn office March 17 1961 March 20 1969PresidentJohn F KennedyLyndon B JohnsonRichard NixonPreceded byJohn Hay WhitneySucceeded byWalter AnnenbergUnited States Ambassador to GermanyIn office April 17 1957 October 29 1959PresidentDwight D EisenhowerPreceded byJames B ConantSucceeded byWalter C DowlingUnited States Ambassador to FranceIn office May 17 1949 March 10 1952PresidentHarry S TrumanPreceded byJefferson CafferySucceeded byJames Clement Dunn17th United States Under Secretary of StateIn office April 1 1952 January 20 1953Preceded byJames E WebbSucceeded byWalter B SmithPersonal detailsBornDavid Kirkpatrick Este Bruce 1898 02 12 February 12 1898Baltimore Maryland U S DiedDecember 5 1977 1977 12 05 aged 79 Washington D C U S Resting placeOak Hill CemeteryWashington D C U S Political partyDemocratic 1 Spouse s Ailsa Mellon m 1926 div 1945 wbr Evangeline Bell m 1945 wbr Children4EducationUniversity of Maryland Law School Contents 1 Background 2 Career 2 1 State service 2 2 Federal service 2 3 Diplomatic service 3 Personal life and death 4 Awards 5 Legacy 6 Publications 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External linksBackground EditBruce was born in Baltimore Maryland to William Cabell Bruce and Louise Este Fisher Bruce 1864 1945 One of his three brothers was James Cabell Bruce He studied for a year and a half at Princeton University He dropped out to serve in the United States Army during World War I At parental insistence he then attended the University of Virginia School of Law 1919 1920 and the University of Maryland School of Law 1920 1921 without taking a degree before being admitted to the Maryland bar in November 1921 2 Career EditState service Edit Bruce served in the Maryland House of Delegates 1924 1926 and the Virginia House of Delegates 1939 1942 3 4 Federal service Edit During World War II Bruce headed the Europe branch of the Office of Strategic Services OSS a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency CIA which was based in London and coordinated espionage activities behind enemy lines for the United States Armed Forces branches Other OSS functions included the use of propaganda subversion and post war planning He observed the invasion of Normandy landing there the day after the initial invasion 5 After leaving the OSS at the end of World War II and before entering the diplomatic field in 1948 1949 David Bruce was with the Economic Cooperation Administration which administered the Marshall Plan It was during this time that David Bruce and his new 2nd wife became an early member of the informal Georgetown Set within D C Bruce as a member of the new President s Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities wrote a secret report on the CIA s covert operations for President Dwight D Eisenhower in 1956 that was highly critical of its operation under Allen Dulles s leadership 6 Diplomatic service Edit He served as the United States Ambassador to France from 1949 to 1952 United States Ambassador to West Germany from 1957 to 1959 and United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 1961 to 1969 He was an American envoy at the Paris peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam in 1970 and 1971 Bruce also served as the first United States emissary to the People s Republic of China from 1973 to 1974 7 He was the ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from late 1974 to 1976 Bruce served as the Honorary Chair on the Board of Trustees of the American School in London during his diplomatic career in the United Kingdom 8 President John F Kennedy 1961 1963 appointed Bruce as ambassador to the Court of St James s i e the United Kingdom After Kennedy s death President Lyndon B Johnson 1963 1969 kept Bruce but ignored all his recommendations Bruce sought closer ties with Britain and greater European unity Bruce s reports regarding Britain s financial condition were pessimistic and alarmist With regard to Vietnam Bruce privately questioned U S involvement and constantly urged the Johnson administration to allow Britain more of a role in bringing the conflict to an end 9 Personal life and death EditOn May 29 1926 Bruce married Ailsa Mellon the daughter of the banker and diplomat Andrew W Mellon 10 They divorced on April 20 1945 Their only daughter Audrey and her husband Stephen Currier were presumed dead when a plane in which they were flying in the Caribbean disappeared on January 17 1967 after requesting permission to fly over Culebra a U S Navy installation No trace of the plane pilot or passengers was ever found Audrey and Stephen Currier left three children Andrea Lavinia and Michael He married Evangeline Bell 1914 1995 11 on April 23 1945 three days after his divorce 10 12 She was a granddaughter of Sir Herbert Conyers Surtees a niece of Sir Patrick Ramsay a stepdaughter of Ambassador Sir James Leishman Dodds and the elder sister of Virginia Surtees who married and divorced Sir Henry Ashley Clarke the British Ambassador to Italy 13 They had two sons and one daughter Alexandra called Sasha Alexandra died under mysterious circumstances possibly murder or suicide in 1975 at age 29 at the Bruce family home in Virginia 14 15 Bruce purchased and restored Staunton Hill his family s former estate in Charlotte County Virginia He died on December 5 1977 of a heart attack at Georgetown University Medical Center 16 He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington D C 17 Awards EditBruce received the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction in 1976 Legacy EditThe David K E Bruce Award was established in 2007 at the American School in London 8 Publications EditBruce wrote a book of biographical essays on the American presidents originally published as Seven Pillars of the Republic 1936 He later expanded it as Revolution to Reconstruction 1939 and again revised it as Sixteen American Presidents 1962 See also EditWilliam Cabell Bruce James Cabell Bruce List of people who disappeared mysteriously at seaReferences Edit The Political Graveyard Index to Politicians Bruce Bruce David Kirkpatrick Este Encyclopedia com www encyclopedia com Retrieved August 22 2019 Harry S Truman Library Oral History of David K E Bruce Bio data David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce Nelson D Lankford January 1991 OSS Against the Reich The World War II Diaries of Colonel David K E Bruce Kent State University Press p 35 ISBN 978 0 87338 427 8 Tim Weiner The Legacy of Ashes The History of the CIA London Allen Lane 2007 p 133 David Bruce 75 Selected To Head Office in Peking The New York Times March 16 1973 Retrieved December 8 2009 President Nixon announced today that he had recalled Ambassador David K E Bruce from retirement to head a United States liaison office in Peking a b School Web site Archived December 6 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 20 2010 Jonathan Colman The London Ambassadorship of David KE Bruce During the Wilson Johnson Years 1964 68 Diplomacy and Statecraft 15 2 2004 327 352 online a b Pitz Marylynne November 15 2009 Ailsa Mellon Bruce s artworks part of Carnegie collection Pittsburgh Post Gazette Retrieved December 8 2009 In 1926 the beautiful reserved and stubborn young woman married David K E Bruce a talented lawyer and the son of Maryland Sen William C Bruce For wedding presents A W Mellon gave his daughter a pearl necklace valued at 100 000 and a 200 acre estate in Syosset Long Island Barron James December 14 1995 Evangeline Bruce 77 Hostess Known for Washington Soirees The New York Times Retrieved April 7 2020 Owens Mitchell March 16 1995 AT HOME WITH Evangeline Bruce The Improbable Author The New York Times Retrieved April 7 2020 Virginia Surtees scholar of Pre Raphaelite art obituary The Telegraph October 25 2017 via www telegraph co uk Nation A Gothic Romance in Old Virginia Public Service and Private Pain U S envoy David Bruce is dead at 79 Chicago Tribune December 6 1977 Archived from the original on October 24 2012 Retrieved December 8 2009 David K E Bruce a veteran American diplomat who served in a variety of posts including mainland China died of a heart attack Monday at Georgetown University Medical Center He was 79 Oak Hill Cemetery Georgetown D C Chapel Lot 19 PDF oakhillcemeterydc org Archived PDF from the original on March 8 2022 Retrieved August 14 2022 Further reading EditExternal video Presentation by Nelson Lankford on The Last American Aristocrat August 23 1996 C SPANColman Jonathan The London Ambassadorship of David KE Bruce During the Wilson Johnson Years 1964 68 Diplomacy and Statecraft 15 2 2004 327 352 online Lankford Nelson D The Last American Aristocrat The Biography of David K E Bruce 1898 1977 1996 Lankford Nelson D ed OSS against the Reich The World War II Diaries of Colonel David K E Bruce 1991 Young John W David K E Bruce 1961 69 in The Embassy in Grosvenor Square Palgrave Macmillan London 2012 153 170 External links EditFirst Chapter of The Last American Aristocrat published by the Washington Post with permission of the author Review of the book The Last American Aristocrat from The Washington Monthly magazine Oral history interview with David K E Bruce 1 March 1972 at the Truman Presidential Museum and Library David K E Bruce s archives at the Fondation Jean Monnet Diplomatic postsPreceded byJefferson Caffery U S Ambassador to FranceMay 17 1949 March 10 1952 Succeeded byJames Clement DunnPreceded byJames E Webb Under Secretary of StateApril 1 1952 January 20 1953 Succeeded byWalter B SmithPreceded byJames B Conant U S Ambassador to GermanyApril 17 1957 October 29 1959 Succeeded byWalter C DowlingPreceded byJohn Hay Whitney U S Ambassador to the United KingdomMarch 17 1961 March 20 1969 Succeeded byWalter H AnnenbergPreceded bynone Chief of the U S Liaison Office in BeijingMay 14 1973 September 25 1974 Succeeded byGeorge H W BushPreceded byDonald Rumsfeld U S Permanent Representative to NATOOctober 17 1974 February 12 1976 Succeeded byRobert Strausz Hupe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title David K E Bruce amp oldid 1116108974, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
