James E. Bunce

James Edward Bunce (August 18, 1924 - December 22, 2015) was an American historian, author, and educator who specialized in British and American colonial history.

Early life and education Born on August 18, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, Bunce attended St. John's University (B.A., 1946), and then Fordham University in Bronx, New York, where he received the M.A. (1948), and Ph.D. (1958) in history. His doctoral dissertation ("The Second Rockingham Administration, 1782") was prepared under Professor Ross J. S. Hoffman.

Bunce taught at Seton Hall University from 1947 to 1949 before joining the history faculty at St. John's in 1949, where he remained until his retirement.

Career At St. John's, he was promoted to assistant professor in 1953, and then to associate professor in 1958. He also co-edited (along with Richard P. Harmond) Long Island as America: A Documentary History to 1896 (Kennikat Press, 1977). In 1983, he authored a pamphlet, Suffolk County in 1683, for the Suffolk County Tercentenary Commission. He also contributed book reviews to the Catholic Historical Review.

Death Bunce was living in Mount Vernon in Westchester County, New York, and died on December 22, 2015, at age 91. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York on December 30, 2015, in the family grave with his parents, Ralph and Sarah (Sadie) Bunce.