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A Proclamation for W&L Alumnus Bruce Rider

Bruce Rider gets around in a variety of media. A member of the Class of 1966, he was the subject of this blog three years ago about the new Kindle on which Bruce, who’s legally blind, listened to the many published letters to the editors that he sends to the New York Times and other outlets. And now he’s the subject of another kind of publication: an official resolution from the state of Texas on the occasion of his 70th birthday, which he celebrated on Nov. 1.

The proclamation mentions Bruce’s attendance at W&L, of course, as well as his military service during the Vietnam War, his membership in a number of veterans’ organizations, and his career in sales and marketing.

The lengthiest section details his many civic activities in his town of Grapevine, Texas, where he serves the local Rotary Club and Masonic Lodge as well as the historical society and public library.

“Bruce Rider has benefited his fellow residents . . . through many years of purposeful endeavor, and in so doing, he has set an inspiring example of generosity and citizenship,” reads one paragraph.

We’re betting that Bruce’s favorite paragraph in the whole resolution, though, is the one that talks about his family, which includes two sons and five granddaughters.

For an example of Bruce’s own writing, here is the essay he wrote for W&L on the occasion of his 45th reunion at W&L.

If you know any W&L alumni who would be great profile subjects, tell us about them! Nominate them for a web profile.