Peter Bruner (1845-1938) was born a slave in Clark County, Kentucky, and after enduring years of corporal punishment he finally escaped in 1864 and enlisted in the United States Colored Troops. Following his discharge from the Union Army, Bruner came to Oxford in 1866 where he would live the rest of his life. While raising five children with his wife Fannie Procton, Bruner held the distinction of working for Western Female Seminary, Oxford College and Miami University.