Five things...

Alas, I have been tagged by two fine friends, Jim McGee and Phil Ferris. So, the meme goes forth, I have thought long and hard about five things that people don’t know about me, and have tried to further this meme, with my desire in this phase of my life to be as transparent as I can be…but here goes..

*****

Most of my friends know that I spent a long time practicing law, but very few know that one of my greatest successes was representing Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy was a very fine Black man, who was the maitre de at the Beef and Bottle Restaurant in Winter Park, FL 32789. I had landed in Winter Park, FL 32789, the day after labor day in 1971 ready to begin practicing law. Degree in hand, and totally clueless. I came to know Mr. Kennedy at the restaurant he worked at, just down the block from our offices. He and I enjoyed a most wonderful relationship, and in the late summer of 1972, he decided to run for the Orlando City council.

There had not been an elected Black politician in Orlando, since slightly after reconstruction. Kennedy ran hard, and garnered all kinds of support, but Orlando at that time was still mostly segregated. I watched as the campaign went on, marveling at how hard he worked. I gave him some ideas, and he would smile and mull over my suggestions. Ultimately election day came, and when the votes were counted he had a very slim lead, but when the absentee ballots were counted he had lost. I was very disappointed!

The next day I was sitting in my office, and the managing partner of the firm walked in, and with him was Mr. Kennedy. He told me that Mr. Kennedy was my new client, and that I needed to figure out how to challenge the election. I shook hands with Mr. Kennedy, accepted the assignment and I grabbed a legal pad and headed for the law library. I spent all night in the law library, reading every statute, every case, and anything I could find. The next day, I showered, put on my best suit, and met Mr. Kennedy and a limo from Brunson’s funeral home. We drove to City Hall, and walked up the steps. I was incredibly scared, and it was about 100 degrees as I recall. When I got into the Mayor’s conference room, the three TV networks had their cameras on, and I found myself, sitting with the Mayor, the City Attorney and Clerk, and three stacks.

The outer envelopes, the inner envelopes and the ballots. I realized in a few minutes that in their hurry to count the ballots, the officials had mixed the good ballots with the bad ones, i.e. the ones that did not meet the statutory requirements. I realized that all of the absentee ballots were tainted, and there was no way to put the “genie back into the bottle” so to speak.

A day later we filed suit, a few months later, at trial, the Judge Barker, agreed with my theory, and Mr. Kennedy was declared the winner. It was a glorious day, perhaps the best day of my legal career. For once, perhaps the first time in a 100 years in Central Florida, the system had been made to work for a truly deserving man.

*****

In 1971, I graduated from Duke Law School. That summer, I bought a 650 Triumph Bonneville motor cycle in Elephant and Castle neighbor hood of London. I then rode it 2,600 miles around Europe. On the good days it was great, and when it rained, it was cold and miserable. I am not sure I have ridden a motorcycle since.

*****

There have been only three generations of my family since the Civil War.

My grandfather William Howard Keenan, i.e. 1865–1953

My sainted mother, Lucille Kathleen Keenan, i.e. 1911–1985

Me, 1946 to date…

Four Generations on the Bruggeman side.

Leo Bruggeman 1849–1911, and depending on which portion of the family legend you believe, was a 14 year old drummer boy at Gettysburg.

Burton Louis Bruggeman 1879–1956 ( I need to check the dates.)

Burton Louis Bruggeman II 1911–1969

Burton Louis Bruggeman III (me) 1946–date.

*****

When my genes are mapped, they will find a new one, i.e. “The road trip gene”!

*****

It would be my fondest desire in life to be an excellent writer. Stories I can tell, but writing I haven’t figured out yet. A shameless romantic I am, and a great friend I seek to be.

*****

I will need a day or two to figure out who to tag next, but fear not, I shall!

 

Comments

[Matthew Cornell]

Thanks for the really interesting history, Buzz.

[Philip Ferris]

Excellent! I knew that you would come up with a star entry in this ongoing meme. Thanks for that Buzz. From reading your blog over time I reckon you have a hand for good writing.

Cheers,

Your friend

phil

[Gerald Buckley]

Mr. Bruggeman, always fun to get to know the stuff you might never otherwise discover through casual contact. Hope your video project is going well. BTW... you're writing is a okie dokie.

And, if you're casting about for your next "tag" I wouldn't object :)

[Nancy Shakir]

Thanks foir the very interesting story on Mr. Kennedy. I'm a historian and I flag Reconstruction, so your blog came up. A good read.

[Jim Bruggeman]

Leo Bruggeman: 1847 (Detroit, Michigan) - 1912 (St. Paul R.R. Yards). Born to Prussian immigrant parents, shoemakers who purportedly were kicked out of Prussia for participation in subversive political activities of the 1840's. Leo joined an Illinois regiment in 1862 as a drummer boy, possibly saw action at Shiloh and Vicksburg, and served until the end of the Civil War. He possibly was wounded in the conflict because he was transferred to an invalid regiment by war's end.

Leo appreticed and worked as a locomotive machinist in Minnesota beginning in the late 1860's with an interlude as a farmer on the White Earth Indian Reservation. Burton Bruggeman the first was born on the 'rez to Leo and his wife Katherine Thomas, daughter of an old Metis (Scots/Ojibway) family in the Red River area. After Katherine ran off with a another German farmer, Leo returned to work in the St. Paul Yards as a machinist,remarried and raised two more children.

As was the practice in those days, Leo forged all of his tools. I still have a beautifully crafted metal scribe with his name embossed on it. An avowed union man and socialist, Leo was a member of Eugene V. Deb's National Railroad Union. He was killed in the kind of accident that the NRU worked hard to pass legislation to prevent: he bled to death when the brakes failed on a railroad car on which he was working rolled over him, amputating one of his legs. Leo's youngest daughter later recalled "They brought Dad home from the Yards on a door." Leo, his wife, and son Vincent are buried in the Cavalry Cemetary in St. Paul

Just to set the record straight. No legends here. Have a wonderful New Year and lift a glass to those who have proceeded us into that great and vast darkness.

[Anne]

Buzz - Wonderful to learn something new about you and your contribution to civil rights. Here's to a great next chapter of your wondrous life's adventure. You are a gifted friend and I am blessed to be a recipient.

[Jeff Whiting]

The unknown (and under-appreciated) side of Buzz.

I've known Buzz since the early 1990's. I've known him as a very smart, very astute "gamesman" in the practice of law. His legal skills have help shield me many times from my own mistakes.

I've known Buzz as a very smart technologist who certainly qualifies as a "thought-leader" among the digerati.

However, it was several years into my relationship with Buzz before he unpretentiously shared his role in the historic achievement of securing Pappy Kennedy's seat on the segregated Orlando City Council in 1972.