About Charles Joseph Bonaparte
Charles Joseph Bonaparte ( BOH-nə-part; June 9, 1851 – June 28, 1921) was an American lawyer and political activist of French descent from the House of Bonaparte who advocated for progressive and liberal causes. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, he served in the cabinet of the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt. His grandfather was Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Emperor Napoleon I, and his grandmother was Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte. Bonaparte was the U.S. Secretary of the Navy and later the U.S. Attorney General. During his tenure as Attorney General, he formed the Bureau of Investigation (now the FBI). Bonaparte was one of the founders and for a time the president, of the National Municipal League. He was also an activist for the voting rights of black residents of his native city of Baltimore. In 1903, he was awarded the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame, the oldest and most prestigious award for American Catholics. In 1899, Bonaparte was the keynote speaker for the first graduating class of the Roman Catholic women's institution run by the Order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the College of Notre Dame of Maryland (now Notre Dame of Maryland University). Bonaparte graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1871 and lived in Grays Hall during his freshman year.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.