Wilber Marion Brucker (June 23, 1894 – October 28, 1968) was an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

. Born in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

, he served as the 32nd governor of Michigan from 1931 to 1933 and as the

United States Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

between July 21, 1955 and January 19, 1961.

Early life

Brucker was born in

, the son of Democratic

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

Ferdinand Brucker. He graduated from the

University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL ...

in 1916 and enlisted in the

Michigan National Guard The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard. The State adjutant general is Major general Paul D. Rogers. Units Michigan Army National Guard units include: * Recruiting Office: Ba ...

, serving with its 33rd Infantry Regiment on the

Mexican border Mexico shares international borders with three nations: *To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. *To the southe ...

during the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...

from 1916 to 1917. He attended Officer Training Camp at

Fort Sheridan, Illinois Fort Sheridan is a residential neighborhood within the cities of Lake Forest, Highwood, and Highland Park in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It was originally established as Fort Sheridan, an Army post named after Civil War cavalry gene ...

, and was commissioned a second lieutenant. Brucker served in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

with the 166th Infantry, 42d Division, in the Château Thierry, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne operations, 1917–1918. He received the Silver Star and

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

, and remained a member of the Officer Reserve Corps until 1937.

Politics

, after the war, Brucker was assistant prosecuting attorney of

Saginaw County Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully orga ...

from 1919 to 1923, and then prosecuting attorney from 1923 to 1927. He married Clara Helen Hantel in 1923. He served as assistant attorney general of Michigan, 1927–1928, and as

Michigan Attorney General The Attorney General of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, m ...

, 1928–1930. In 1930 he was elected as Michigan's 32nd Governor, serving one term until being defeated in 1932 by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

William Comstock William Alfred Comstock (July 2, 1877 – June 16, 1949) was an American politician as the 33rd governor of Michigan. Early life Born in 1877 in Alpena, Michigan, he attended the University of Michigan, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fr ...

. During his two years in office, the police force in Michigan increased and a new state police headquarters in

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

was authorized. Also Michigan enacted legislation that allowed grand juries to investigate allegations of municipal government fraud and mismanagement. In 1936, Brucker defeated incumbent U.S. Senator James Couzens in the Republican primary elections, but lost to Democrat Prentiss M. Brown in the general election. He was a member of the law firm of Clark, Klein, Brucker, and Waples, 1937–1954, and served as

General Counsel of the Department of Defense The General Counsel of the Department of Defense is the chief legal officer of the Department of Defense (DoD), advising both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary on all legal matters and services, and providing legal advice to Office of the Secr ...

from 1954 to 1955, during the Army–McCarthy hearings. In 1955, Brucker was appointed by

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

as Secretary of the Army, serving from July 21, 1955 to January 19, 1961. Brucker administered the Army during a period of major technological advance, especially in the missile-satellite field, and at a time when the Army's place in the national defense structure was overshadowed by a philosophy of "

massive retaliation Massive retaliation, also known as a massive response or massive deterrence, is a military doctrine and nuclear strategy in which a state commits itself to retaliate in much greater force in the event of an attack. Strategy In the event of a ...

". Under his direction the Army instituted a five-element (pentagonal) organization concept for the division, established a

Strategic Army Corps The Strategic Army Corps (STRAC) was a command of the United States Army, with a mission of high readiness, active in the 1960s. In 1961 it was merged into the United States Strike Command (STRICOM). The word "STRAC" was also used to describe a w ...

for emergency reaction, launched the United States' first satellite,

Explorer I Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States in 1958 and was part of the U.S. participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY). The mission followed the first two satellites the previous year; the Soviet Union ...

, and adopted the Army Flag.

Death

Brucker returned to legal practice in Detroit with the firm of Brucker and Brucker, 1961–1968, and was a member of the Board of Directors of

Freedoms Foundation The Freedoms Foundation is an American non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian educational organization, founded in 1949. The foundation is located adjacent to the Valley Forge National Historical Park, near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Bill of R ...

. He died in Detroit on October 28, 1968, and was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

Legacy

Brucker Hall at

Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall is a Joint Base of the United States military that is located around Arlington, Virginia which is made up of Fort Myer (Arl), Fort McNair (SW DC), and Henderson Hall. It is the local residue of the Base Reali ...

is named for him.James J. Smisek
''The United States Army Band: "Pershing's Own"''
2006, page 51

References

Additional resources

*

Wilber M. Brucker Papers
at the

Bentley Historical Library The Bentley Historical Library is the campus archive for the University of Michigan and is located on the University of Michigan's North Campus in Ann Arbor. It was established in 1935 by the regents of the University of Michigan. Its mission i ...

Autobiography of Clara H. Brucker, wife of Wilber M. Brucker "To Have Your Cake and Eat It"
, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Brucker, Wilber M 1894 births 1968 deaths Michigan lawyers Republican Party governors of Michigan Michigan Attorneys General United States Secretaries of the Army United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War I Politicians from Saginaw, Michigan American Presbyterians Burials at Arlington National Cemetery University of Michigan Law School alumni Recipients of the Silver Star 20th-century American politicians Michigan National Guard personnel 20th-century American lawyers Members of the Odd Fellows