At the 1880 Republican National Convention in Chicago , Bruce became the first African American to win any votes for national office at a major party 's nominating convention , with eight votes for vice president . The presidential nominee that year was Ohio 's James A. Garfield , who narrowly won election over the Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock . Bruce served by appointment as the District of Columbia recorder of deeds from 1890 to 1893 ; his salary was $ 30,000 per year . He also served on the District of Columbia Board of Trustees of Public Schools from 1892 to 1895 . He was a participant in the March 5 , 1897 meeting to celebrate the memory of Frederick Douglass and the American Negro Academy led by Alexander Crummell . He was appointed as Register of the Treasury a second time in 1897 by President William McKinley and served until his death from diabetes complications in 1898
1880 Republican National Convention
1880 Republican National Convention
Blanche Bruce