He was in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945 and served as a private in the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon of the 104th Infantry Division in the European theatre of World War II.

He ran for Governor of West Virginia in 1968, narrowly winning the Democratic nomination, but lost the general election to Republican congressman Arch A. Moore Jr.

He was a justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals from 1972 to 1975 when he resigned to make a second run for governor, losing the Democratic primary to Jay Rockefeller.

[1] Sprouse was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on July 5, 1979, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, to a new seat created by 92 Stat.

He initially in the primary chaired, then in the general election co-chaired, the gubernatorial campaign of State Senator Charlotte Pritt in her historic bid for governor.