Marriage and Family
While teaching at Howard University in 1928, Bunche met Ruth Harris, who took a class from him. They married June 23, 1930. The couple had three children: Joan Harris Bunche (b. 1931), Jane Johnson Bunche (b. 1933) (later married to Burton Pierce), and Ralph J. Bunche, Jr. (b. 1943). At the time of his death, Bunche was survived by his wife, daughter Joan, son Ralph and three Pierce grandchildren. His wife later enjoyed three additional grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
On October 9, 1966, their daughter Jane Bunche Pierce fell or jumped from the roof of her Riverdale, Bronx apartment building; her death was believed to be suicide. She left no note. She was married to Burton Pierce, a Cornell University alumnus who was a labor relations executive, and they had three children. Their apartment was on the first floor of the building.
Read more about this topic: Ralph Bunche
Famous quotes containing the words marriage and/or family:
“After the first couple of months, she and Charlie didn’t see much of each other except at breakfast. It was a marriage just like any other marriage.”
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“The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one uniting all working people, of all nations, and tongues, and kindreds.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)