Changes

| term_end=2008

| term_end=2008

| preceded=[[Johnny McFerren]]

| preceded=[[Johnny McFerren]]

|succeeded=[[Richard Burford]]

| succeeded=[[Richard Burford]]

| birth_date=May 16, 1935

| birth_date=May 16, 1935

|birth_place=Place of birth missing<br>

|birth_place=Coushatta, Red River Parish, [[Louisiana]]

Resident of [[Shreveport]], [[Louisiana]]

| death_date=March 16, 2023 (aged 87)

| death_date=

| death_place=

| death_place=

| resting_place=

| resting_place=

Retired home economist

Retired home economist

| spouse=Andrew Morris Bruce

| spouse=Andrew Morris Bruce

| children=

| children=Andy Bruce

| alma_mater=[[Northwestern State University]]<br>

| alma_mater=[[Northwestern State University]]<br>

[[Louisiana State University]]

[[Louisiana State University]]

}}

}}

'''Beverly Josephine Gourdon Bruce''' (born May 16, 1935)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/beverly-bruce/e79957419222|title=Beverly G. Bruce|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref> is a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who represented District 7 in the [[Louisiana]] [[House of Representatives]] from 1996 to 2008. The district encompasses south Caddo and DeSoto parishes in northwestern Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembership_History_CURRENT.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2020: Caddo and DeSoto parishes|publisher=Louisiana House of Representatives|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref>

'''Beverly Josephine Gourdon Bruce''' (May 16, 1935 &ndash; March 16, 2023)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.shreveporttimes.com/obituaries/spt084698?utm_source=shreveporttimes-obituaries&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=obituaries&utm_term=text&utm_content=PSHR-obituaries|title=Beverly Gourdon Bruce obituary|publisher=''The Shreveport Times'' accessdate=March 26, 2023}}</ref> was a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] who represented District 7 in the [[Louisiana]] House of Representatives from 1996 to 2008. The district encompasses south Caddo and DeSoto parishes in northwestern Louisiana.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://house.louisiana.gov/H_PDFdocs/HouseMembership_History_CURRENT.pdf|title=Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812-2020: Caddo and DeSoto parishes|publisher=Louisiana House of Representatives|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref>

Prior to her legislative tenure, Bruce was a teacher of home economics in the public school system for nine years and a home economist with  [[Louisiana State University]] Agricultural Center-Research and Extension Service for twenty-three years. In 1956, Bruce graduated with a bachelor's degree in home economics education from [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]],  In 1964, she received a master's degree in Child Development and Family Relations from NSU. She also did post-graduate work at LSU.<ref name=hde>{{cite web|url=https://traditions.nsula.edu/the-hall-of-distinguished-educators.html |title=The Hall of Distinguished Educators: Beverly Gourdon Bruce|publisher=Traditions.nsula.edu|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref>

Prior to her legislative tenure, Bruce was a teacher of home economics in the public school system for nine years and a home economist with  [[Louisiana State University]] Agricultural Center-Research and Extension Service for twenty-three years. In 1956, Bruce graduated with a bachelor's degree in home economics education from [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]]. In 1964, she received a master's degree in Child Development and Family Relations from NSU. She also did post-graduate work at LSU.<ref name=hde>{{cite web|url=https://traditions.nsula.edu/the-hall-of-distinguished-educators.html |title=The Hall of Distinguished Educators: Beverly Gourdon Bruce|publisher=Traditions.nsula.edu|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref>

Bruce is listed in ''Who’s Who of American Women'' and in 1997 was named "Outstanding Legislator of the "by the Louisiana Association of Educators. As a legislator, she championed character education in the Louisiana public school system and appropriated funds to finance the "Character Counts" program, which promotes ethics in elementary and secondary schools and serves inmates at  as well as inmates of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.<ref name=hde/>

Bruce is listed in ''Who’s Who of American Women'' and in 1997 was named "Outstanding Legislator of the "by the Louisiana Association of Educators. As a legislator, she championed character education in the Louisiana public school system and appropriated funds to finance the "Character Counts" program, which promotes ethics in elementary and secondary schools and serves inmates at  as well as inmates of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.<ref name=hde/>

In 1995, Bruce unseated the short-term [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Tommy Armstrong]] of Shreveport, who had represented District 4. Running in District 7 to succeed the retiring [[Johnny McFerren]], Bruce polled 7,027 votes (53 percent) to Armstrong's 6,235 (47 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 1995.</ref> Bruce was unopposed in 1999 and 2003, but in 2007, she was term-limited and was succeeded by a Republican, [[Richard Burford]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/static/#!/2007-11-17/resultsRace/Legislative|title=Election Returns|date=November 17, 2007|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref> who relinquished the seat in 2016 after a failed bid for the state Senate against Democrat [[John Milkovich]].

In 1995, Bruce unseated the short-term [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Tommy Armstrong]] of Shreveport, who had represented District 4. Running in District 7 to succeed the retiring [[Johnny McFerren]], Bruce polled 7,027 votes (53 percent) to Armstrong's 6,235 (47 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, November 18, 1995.</ref> Bruce was unopposed in 1999 and 2003, but in 2007, she was term-limited and was succeeded by a Republican, [[Richard Burford]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/static/#!/2007-11-17/resultsRace/Legislative|title=Election Returns|date=November 17, 2007|publisher=Louisiana Secretary of State|accessdate=February 25, 2018}}</ref> who relinquished the seat in 2016 after a failed bid for the state Senate against Democrat [[John Milkovich]].

A former resident of Mansfield, Louisiana, Bruce is retired in [[Shreveport]], with her husband Andrew Morris Bruce.

A former resident of Mansfield, Louisiana, Bruce an her husband, Andrew Morris Bruce, retired in [[Shreveport]]. She died at the age of eighty-seven.

==References==

==References==