Duncan Archibald Bruce

Bruce was born (February 19, 1932) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Archibald and Marian (née Colley) Bruce. He was the eldest of four siblings. He graduated from Edgewood High School near Pittsburgh and was class president and captain of the baseball team. In 1954, he graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and was a member of the Friars Senior Society, Alpha Tao Omega Fraternity, and The Mask and Wig Club.

Bruce's grandparents were Scottish Highland immigrants. His grandmother and grandfather founded a Presbyterian church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. While being interviewed on his book, The Scottish 100, Duncan said, "I call my grandmother the only true Christian I have ever known and she taught me, on her knee, about what good the Jews had done and how wrong the Nazi persecution was... but the main point is that The National Covenant made the Scots a covenanted people like the Jews".[1]

Bruce was affiliated with many Scottish American organizations and groups and was a recognized historian, author, and educator on the subject.

In 1998, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition Organization for his research and contributions in documenting Scottish history in the United States. He was awarded the Wallace Award in 2011 by the American Scottish Foundation. Noted ASF chairman, Kenneth Donnelly said of Bruce, "Through his dedicated research and love for Scotland, Duncan educated us all on the real and meaningful contributions the Scots have made to America".[2]

Bruce was the President of Edgewood Holdings, Inc. in New York City from 1989 to 2002, and then of Normandie Holdings, Ltd., in New York City from 1996 to 2008.

Bruce was married to his wife, Tamara, from December 4, 1965 until her death in April, 2005. They had two daughters, Jenny and Elizabeth. He resided in New York City until he died from complications related to Parkinson's disease on November 22, 2019.