General Bruce Drive

The highway that would become I-35 was built in the early twentieth century, one lane in each direction. Originally called The Meridian Highway, its name was later changed to State Highway 2 and then U.S. 81. It was the main north-south artery in the state. With the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, Texas was allocated 2,905 miles of highway, and as construction plans and maps were developed, I-35 began to take shape. Construction on Interstate 35 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area started about 1960, and by 1965, the highway was completed from Dallas to the Oklahoma border. By 1967 it was completed from both Dallas and Fort Worth southward to Austin. The City of Temple designated its portion of I-35 (formerly U.S. 81) as General Bruce Drive.

Andrew Davis Bruce was born on September 14, 1894, in St. Louis, Missouri. His family moved to Texas when he was a child. He attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and earned a doctorate of laws.

Following his graduation, he entered the U.S. Army and was sent to combat in France as part of the 2nd Infantry Division's 5th Machine Gun Battalion. His division became part of the occupation force in Germany after World War I. The government of France awarded him the Legion of Honor, three Croix de Guerre medals, and the fourragère (a military award distinguishing military units as a whole).

Between the wars, Bruce married, had a family, and resided in Bryan, Texas, where he taught military science at Allen Academy. For the next two decades Bruce continued to serve in the army. He served with the 33rd Infantry Regiment in Panama, participated in historical work at the U.S. Army War College and served on the general staff of the War Department revising textbooks on military doctrine. He also furthered his own education.

When the United States entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bruce was promoted to brigadier general and was tasked with organizing a new tank destroyer center. The location chosen by General Bruce and the War Department was Killeen, Texas, and the new camp was called Fort Hood. Hundreds of tank destroyer units were trained under General Bruce's supervision.

In September 1942, he was promoted to major general, and in May 1943, he assumed command of the 77th Infantry Division. Under Bruce's leadership the 77th Division fought in the Pacific War, participating in campaigns in Guam, Leyte, and Ryukyu. On April 16, 1945, the 77th Division was ordered to seize the island of le Shima in the Ryukyu islands so that the U.S. Army could use the island's airfields to support assaults on Okinawa. During the six-day battle, famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle was killed. Major General Bruce and his men buried Pyle on the island, later erecting a monument to him.

After the surrender of Japan, Bruce served as the military governor of Hokkaidō. He returned to the United States in October 1947, becoming deputy army commander of the Fourth Army stationed at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In 1951, he became commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia and was also promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. General Bruce received the Legion of Merit for his outstanding work as a teacher. He was credited with supervising and executing plans for the composition and coordination of new and revised official texts, technical field manuals, training circulars, and other War Department training literature. He also directed the development of a system of visual training, including training films, film strips, charts and posters. The entire Army adopted his teaching methods for infiltration and village fighting courses.

He retired from the U.S. Army on July 31, 1954. A retirement review was held for Bruce at Fort Hood, the post he founded, built, and commanded. The Secretary of the Army as well as notable military, civic, and business leaders were in attendance. Bruce's decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, an Air Medal, and the Purple Heart among others.

One month after retiring from the military, Bruce became the third president of the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. He was instrumental in building a religious center and chapel complex for all faiths at the university. The A.D. Bruce Religion Center was named for him. He served as the first chancellor of the university until his retirement in 1961. On May 22, 1954, the City of Temple dedicated the portion of "super-highway 81 where it crossed Highway 36" as General Bruce Drive. General Bruce, his wife, and military and civic officials were present. General Bruce died on July 28, 1969 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1972, the state of Texas erected a historical marker in his memory at Fort Hood.

"General Bruce, Fort Hood Founder, Retires Tuesday." The Armored Sentinel, Aug. 26, 1954.

Robinson, Julia. “35 on 35." Texas Coop Power, March 2017.

"Temple Opens General Bruce Road Saturday." The Armored Sentinel, May 20, 1954.

Texas A&M University. "Interstate-Anywhere Everywhere." https://static.tti.tamu.edu/tti.tamu.edu/documents/TTI-2006-8.pdf

Texas Historical Commission. "A Historic Context of the Bankhead Highway and Other Historic Named Highways." http://www.thc.texas.gov/public/upload/preserve/survey/highway/Meridian.pdf