On February 20, 1960, Governor Luther H. Hodges declared that he would appoint Bruton Attorney General of North Carolina following the resignation of Malcolm B. Seawell. He was sworn-in on March 2. During his tenure, assistant attorneys general were entrusted with advising different departments of state government. He held daily staff meetings to coordinate their work and make changes to their assignments. He retired from the National Guard with the rank of colonel in 1962.
