Bruce W. Reeves was born in 1918 in Sunnyside, Washington. He attended Washington State University and the Universisty of La Verne where he graduated in 1941 with a BA in teaching. Reeves was a member of the Church of the Brethren and in 1944 he entered the Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector to World War II. During his time as a C.O., Reeves was assigned to the Waldport, Oregon Fine Arts Camp where he documented camp activities through photography. Reeves's photograph collection of the Warldport camp is the most complete surviving photographic evidence of camp activities; photos from the collection have been published in a number of Civilian Public Service historical texts.

After the war Reeves moved to Seattle where he completed his graduate education at University of Washington. After graduating he worked as a teacher and vice principal in the Shoreline school district. Reeves was also an active member of the National Education Association (NEA), the Washington Education Association (WEA), and the Democratic Party.