A historian, Fraser spent a good deal of his time working to find funding for the myriad projects the CHC supported. I remember chatting with him on several occasions after day-long meetings at the state capital during which he advocated for more money for projects such as Cultural Heritage Development Fund, reading programs for children and adults as well as resources for teachers (go to www.ctculture.org to see just how much the Council does.) He may have been frustrated, at times, at the snail's pace of the legislature vis-a-vis funding, but always proud of what his organization accomplished.
Bruce Fraser worked every day to create an environment where every person in this state could have access to the history, literature and culture of Connecticut. His is a quiet yet very impressive legacy. He will be sorely missed by family and colleagues.
The public humanities community, in Connecticut and throughout the United States, has lost a great leader. Bruce Fraser was the guiding light for many of us, articulating our priorities, eloquently advocating for the importance of the humanities in our everyday lives.
ReplyDeletePat Williamsen
Ohio Humanities Council
Bruce was a great supporter in the first documentary I produced, about the Old Leatherman. It was the first completed documentary for the Humanities Council. He also played hockey with my video editor, and out-skated most of the younger guys on the team. I'll miss seeing him walk his huge dog near the CHC offices on Broad Street.
ReplyDeleteI played hockey for many years with Bruce.
ReplyDeleteA better teammate you couldn't ask for.
Always ready with a smile and a laugh and a good natured rib if you happened to show up with a bad haircut.
A great guy to have a beer and some wings with.
I miss him seeing him at the rink.
Pete Joerres
I'll miss Bruce terribly. He was a tenacious leader in the humanities community, insisting that the cultural organizations deliver programs of great value to the citizens of CT. He worked tirelessly to raise support for museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions, to initiate private/public partnerships, and to present public programs in libraries and museums. He was also a national leader, known as the bull dog or Napoleon -- he got things done. What I'll miss most is Bruce calling me on the telephone, saying, "Gotta Minute?" and then spewing out the next three paragraphs without so much as a breath. I got the point, and the point was, "let's do the next right thing to bring rich educational programs to the people!" And now all I can say is: "See you at the big Aruba read-a-thon in the sky!"
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