Biography of 	Bruenn, Bernard Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller March 1998

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Bruenn, Bernard, the subject of this sketch, a native of New Orleans,  was
born in 1859, of foreign parentage, illustrates the combined effects of
racial characteristics and healthy forebears.  His father, the late Zachary
Bruenn, who died Nov. 23, 1912, in his 90th year, and his mother, Deborah
Seligman who died Aug. 5, 1874, from the effects of medical misdirection,
were both of European birth, and possessed sturdy frames, as tbe result of
prudent living and the avoidance of excesses of any kind, so inherent a
trait of the Hebrew race.  Coming to New Orleans, the father entered upon a
career of merchandising which lasted from 1851 until within several years
of his death, leaving an untarnished record of his life's work as the best
of inheritances for his offspring.  Bernard Bruenn, a studious youth from
the outset, acquired his preliminary education in private and public
schools of New Orleans, supplementing it as he approached the years of
maturity with his own unaided efforts.  He entered the law school of the
University of Louisiana at New Orleans, and graduated with the degree of
LL. B., in 1881.  He then started upon the practice of his profession,
being taken in 1886 into the law partnership made up of Albert H. Leonard,
just then retiring after a brilliant service of 8 years from the office of
United States district attorney for the district of Louisiana, and Morris
Marks, who had previously filled various Federal offices, the last being
that of internal revenue collector for the district of Louisiana.  This law
partnership endured until the end of 1890. Mr. Bruenn, early in 1891,
traveled on the continent of Europe, whence he returned to New York city
late in that year, to assume the task of representing a number of English
bondholders interested in railroad and other properties in and near the
tidewater region of the state of Virginia.  From that time and until the
termination of the railroad receivership and during the period required for
the reorganization of the railroad company's affairs in 1894, Mr. Bruenn
divided his labors between the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va.;
refusing an offer of the presidency of the reorganized railway company, he
went to New York city, winding up there matters of detail connected with
his administration of the Virginia properties.  The end of the year 1894
saw him once more in New Orleans.  He had returned to acquaint himself with
the trend of conditions concerning personal ,affairs as they had developed
during the almost 4 years of his absence.  Individual preference, as well
as certain well defined opportunities, tempted his return to New York.
Filial duty pointed strongly toward his remaining near his then aging
father.  He chose the latter course, and at once opened a law office,
picking up the thread of affairs where he had let it fall at the end of
1890, and since then has been a faithful follower of his life work in the
practice of the law.  Very probably because Mr. Bruenn has never sought
political preferment, and as likely because he was always liberal in his
views concerning matters affecting political expediency, insofar as in his
opinion the best interests of the southern half of Louisiana were involved,
he has never filled public office.  With regard to the only political party
in Louisiana, he has held in a quiet way that, under the conditions which
have existed since 1876, it was far better that honest well-meaning
citizens of the state should ally themselves with its regular faction
politically.  There, in the regular party councils, more general good might
be accomplished by honest men, than by an ephemeral and hastily organized
faction, claiming to be in its entirety, the only saving grace of the
Democratic party.  Nationally, Mr. Bruenn always favored the Republican
party, because it was, as he concluded, for the immediate and lasting good
of Louisiana that its greatest crops-- sugar and rice--needed yet a while
the helping hand of the general government to steady them as against the
world's competition of more favored climate and cheaper labor.  Now that
these industries have been deprived of almost all that has been a reason of
their survival, the position taken by Mr. Bruenn has been fully justified.
During the prevalence of the dread yellow fever in New Orleans in the
summer of 1905 Mr. Bruenn, noting the ineffectual attempts made by the
local authorities to stem the progress of the plague, suggested in an open
letter published in the Times-Democrat, on Aug. 22, 1905, the taking over
by the Federal authorities of all quarantine stations then under control of
the several state authorities.  Already the officers of the United States
marine hospital service, at the request of the general public, had joined
forces with the Louisiana state board of health and had shown remarkable
scientific efficiency, with the resultant beneficial effects.  The idea
thrown out by the letter referred to was subsequently practically developed
in the purchase by the United States government from the state of Louisiana
of its well equipped quarantine station near the mouth of the Mississippi
river.  Ever since then the entire Southland has rested in perfect security
against any further invasion of the much dreaded yellow fever plague.
During the factional political fight which prevailed in New Orleans in the
fall of 1904, when the regular Democratic organization was opposed by what
was then termed the "Home Rule" party, Mr. Bruenn, without his knowledge,
was unanimously nominated for the position of district attorney on the
ticket to be put forward by tat party.  This honor, highly appreciated
because of its unsolicited tender, was declined.  Besides closely following
the duties pressed upon him by diligent attention to his profession, Mr.
Bruenn found time to devote himself to some years of busy work on the local
along special lines, in which he achieved no little success.  He is a
member of the Masonic fraternity, as also of several clubs and of the
charitable organizations.  His professional activities have brought him
into intimate contact with the members of the local bench and bar, by all
of whom he is recognized as an able lawyer and a gentleman of the highest
standards.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp.
72-74.  Edited by Alcee Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association.