The Arthur Bromage papers provide documentation of his service as Ann Arbor city councilman and other political activities and some of his academic research. The papers include correspondence, speeches, press clipping s and publications.
Arthur Watson Bromage was born in East Windsor, Connecticut on February 27, 1904. He attended Enfield High School in Connecticut from 1917 to 1921. His undergraduate education took place at Wesleyan University in Connecticut from 1921 to 1925. He received his Master's degree from Harvard University in 1926 and his Ph.D. in 1928.
As a specialist in municipal government and administration, Arthur Bromage was associated with the University of Michigan beginning in 1929. He attained the rank of professor of political science in 1938, and served as chairman of the department from 1961 to 1964. He attained the status of professor emeritus in 1974. Long active in the university's Institute of Public Administration, Professor Bromage participated in training graduate students for careers in city management.
During World War II, Bromage was commissioned in January 1943 as a major in the Army. Bromage attended the School of Military Government in Charlottesville, Virginia. Afterward he was assigned to Fort Custer in Michigan from May 1943 to January 1944. He served overseas in England, France and Germany from February 1944 to September 1945. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he served with the Regional Military Government Detachment for Bavaria in 1945, participating in the restoration of civil authority in that region of Germany. He was awarded the European, Africa, Middle East ribbon with three battle stars, the American campaign medal and the World War II victory medal. After World War II, he resumed his position as professor of political science at the University of Michigan.
In addition to university teaching and research, Bromage served as a city councilman in Ann Arbor from 1949 until 1953. Throughout his career, he was active in the National Municipal League. He served, by appointment of the governors of Michigan, on four state and local study commissions. He contributed to city, county and citizen bodies as secretary to the Michigan Commission of Reform and Modernization of Government in 1938 and as a member of the Michigan Commission on Intergovernmental Relations from 1954 until 1955. In 1956, Bromage was given an honorary life member status in the International City Manager's Association and of the Michigan Municipal League. He was a charter consultant to numerous cities.
Among Bromage's publications are many books, articles and notes on state, municipal, county and metropolitan government. His best known works include: American County Government, Organization and Cost of County and Township Government, State Government and Administration in the U.S., Manager Plan Abandonments, Introduction to Municipal Government and Administration, On the City Council, A Councilman Speaks, and Councilmen at Work. His syndicated articles, released through the National League of Cities, appeared in state municipal league journals throughout the United States.
He was a member of: American Political Science Association, American Society for Public Administration, International City Managers' Association, and National Municipal League. In 1973, the Michigan Chapter of the International City Managers' Association established the Arthur W. Bromage Internship, a graduate internship, annually awarded at the University of Michigan.
He and Mary Cogan were married in 1928. They had one daughter, Susanna Bromage Paterson, six grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Arthur Bromage died on February 9, 1979 in his home in Ann Arbor.
