Born on October 24, 1895, in the Lincoln neighborhood of Ephrata, Pennsylvania,[1] Bard graduated from Millersville State Normal School (now Millersville University of Pennsylvania), then received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1916 from Franklin & Marshall College and a Bachelor of Laws in 1922 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

[2] Bard received a recess appointment from President Franklin D. Roosevelt on December 20, 1939, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Oliver Booth Dickinson.

[2] Bard was the first person from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to be appointed a United States federal judge.

[1] His service terminated on July 16, 1952, due to his resignation to run for the United States Senate.

[2] In that effort, he defeated state auditor G. Harold Wagner to win the Democratic nomination,[5] but lost in the general election.