After deciding not to become a member of the clergy, Bristow's political career began while still a student, when he organized a Blaine and Logan club to support the Republican nominees for president and vice president in the 1884 United States presidential election. He graduated from Baker University in 1886, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors.
Bristow's choice not to enter the clergy led him to start a political career while still a student, organizing a Blaine and Logan club to support Republican candidates for president and vice president in the 1884 U.S. presidential election. He graduated from Baker University with an honors degree in arts in 1886.