A. D. Bruce
Encyclopedia
Andrew Davis Bruce was an American
academic and soldier who served as the third president of the University of Houston
. He retired from the United States Army
in 1954 as a lieutenant general
after seeing action in both World War I
and World War II
and founding Fort Hood. Three countries, France, the Philippines, and the United States, awarded him service medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross
, the U.S. Army's second highest military decoration. Bruce is interred in Arlington National Cemetery
.
to John Logan Bruce and Martha Washington Smith. His family moved to Texas
when he was a child. After finishing high school Bruce attended the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now known as Texas A&M University
, where he was required to be a member of the Corps of Cadets and undergo military training. In 1916, Bruce earned a doctorate of laws from Texas A&M.
as a second lieutenant. He served in the First Officers Training Camp at Leon Springs, Texas
. After completing his training he was sent to combat in France as part of the 2nd Infantry Division's 5th Machine Gun Battalion. He saw action in France in the Troyon Sector near Verdun
, in the Aisne
Defensive operation near Chateau Thierry
, the Aisne-Marne offensive at Soissons
, the fighting at St. Mihiel
, and the Meuse-Argonne offensive
at Blanc Mont. Following the fighting in France, he hiked with his division into Germany to be part of the occupation force. At the relatively young age of 24 he achieved the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel
. The government of France awarded him the Legion of Honor, three Croix de guerre
medals, and the fourragère
.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
in 1919. The citation read,
, near Texas A&M, and Bruce taught military science and tactics at Allen Academy. They had three children. For the next two decades Bruce continued to serve in the Army. He served with the 33rd Infantry
in Panama
, participated in historical work at the Army War College and served on the War Department general staff revising textbooks on military doctrine. He also furthered his own knowledge of military tactics, attending the Infantry School, the Field Artillery School, the Command and General Staff College
, the Army War College, and the Naval War College
.
Following the outbreak of World War II, Bruce was assigned to organize a new tank destroyer
center. He chose Killeen, Texas
for the new camp, and named it Fort Hood for General John Bell Hood
. On September 9, 1942, he was promoted to major general
. The following year he became commander of the 77th Infantry Division. Under his leadership the group participated in campaigns in Guam
, Leyte
, and Ryukyu. At Leyte, in the Philippines, the division was responsible for taking Palompon, the last main port the Japanese held on the island. During the ten-day battle for that area of the island, from December 21 through December 31, 1944, the division estimated that they had killed 5,779 Japanese soldiers and taken 29 prisoners, with only 17 Americans killed, 116 wounded, and 6 missing in action. For his service the government of the Philippines later awarded him the Philippine Legion of Honor
, the Philippine Liberation Medal
, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
In April 1945, the 77th Division was ordered to seize the island of Ie Shima in the Ryukyu islands so that the US Army could use the island's airfields to support assaults on Okinawa and other islands in Japan. During the six-day battle to secure the island, 4,706 Japanese soldiers and civilians were killed, while 172 Americans were killed, 902 were wounded, and 46 were missing. During the battle, famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle
was killed by a sniper. Bruce and his men buried Pyle on the island, later erecting a monument to him. Despite the fact that the Japanese had tried to destroy the airfields, army engineers were able to have all taxiways and runways fully operational by mid-May. For his service during World War II, Bruce was twice more awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
. In 1946, he was transferred to be commander of the 7th Infantry Division which was occupying Korea. He returned to the U.S. in October 1947, becoming deputy army commander of the Fourth Army stationed at Fort Sam Houston
in Texas. His primary responsibilities were to assist with the training activities of the ROTC
, National Guard and Organized Reserve Corps of five states.
Bruce became commandant
of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia
in early July 1951 and was promoted to lieutenant general
on July 30, 1951. He retired from the army on July 31, 1954. Bruce's decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross
, Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
, Navy Distinguished Service Medal
, Legion of Merit
, the Bronze Star
, an Air Medal
and the Purple Heart
.
Bruce became the third president of the University of Houston
in Houston, Texas
on September 1, 1954, one month after retiring from military service. He succeeded interim president C. F. McElhinney. Shortly after arriving, Bruce noted that the university was missing something which he considered fundamental—a chapel for student use located on campus. He remarked to the Director of Religious Activities that if you "[e]xclude religion entirely from education...you have no foundation upon which to build moral character."
A year after he took office, Bruce began investigating whether there would be interest in building a religious center and chapel complex at the school. After several years of negotiations with the various religious denominations which had operated on and off campus, Bruce engineered a consensus that the university would build a center based on the model of the Armed Forces Base Chapel. The new religious center would have a single chapel which would be shared by all of the groups, and office space for each group. The center opened in 1965 and was named for Bruce.
In 1956, Bruce was appointed the first chancellor of the university, in addition to his duties as president. The following year he organized a Board of Governors, consisting of the Board of Regents and other prominent Houstonians. In November 1959 this governing board sought state support for the university, which had grown rapidly under Bruce's leadership. During Bruce's tenure, the "University's curriculum standards and faculty both improved and the University became better-known." He retired from chancellorship in 1961.
and a Shriner.
Bruce retired from academia during the 1960-1961 school year and moved to North Carolina
. He died on July 28, 1969 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
. In 1972, the state of Texas erected a historical marker in his memory in Killeen
at Fort Hood.
In addition, Interstate 35
through Temple was named "General Bruce Drive".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
academic and soldier who served as the third president of the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
. He retired from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1954 as a lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
after seeing action in both World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and founding Fort Hood. Three countries, France, the Philippines, and the United States, awarded him service medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, the U.S. Army's second highest military decoration. Bruce is interred in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Early years
Bruce was born on September 14, 1894 in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to John Logan Bruce and Martha Washington Smith. His family moved to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
when he was a child. After finishing high school Bruce attended the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now known as Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, where he was required to be a member of the Corps of Cadets and undergo military training. In 1916, Bruce earned a doctorate of laws from Texas A&M.
World War I
Shortly after his graduation, the United States entered World War I. In June 1917 Bruce joined the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a second lieutenant. He served in the First Officers Training Camp at Leon Springs, Texas
Leon Springs, Texas
Leon Springs is an unincorporated community in Bexar County, Texas, now partially within the limits of San Antonio.The region was settled in the mid-nineteenth century by German immigrants, most notably Johannes von Meusebach, George von Plehve, and Max Aue. Aue founded an inn which became the...
. After completing his training he was sent to combat in France as part of the 2nd Infantry Division's 5th Machine Gun Battalion. He saw action in France in the Troyon Sector near Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
, in the Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
Defensive operation near Chateau Thierry
Battle of Château-Thierry (1918)
The Battle of Château-Thierry was fought on 18 July 1918 and was one of the first actions of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing...
, the Aisne-Marne offensive at Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
, the fighting at St. Mihiel
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a World War I battle fought between September 12–15, 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Force and 48,000 French troops under the command of U.S. general John J. Pershing against German positions...
, and the Meuse-Argonne offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
at Blanc Mont. Following the fighting in France, he hiked with his division into Germany to be part of the occupation force. At the relatively young age of 24 he achieved the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
. The government of France awarded him the Legion of Honor, three Croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
medals, and the fourragère
Fourragère
The fourragère is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, that is shaped as a braided cord. The award has been firstly adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal.- History :...
.
He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
in 1919. The citation read,
The Distinguished Service Cross is presented to Andrew D. Bruce, Major, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in action near Vierzy, France, July 17–18, 1918, and near Blanc Mont October 3–4, 1918.
On the night of July 17–18, Major Bruce made a personal reconnaissance ahead of his troops through heavy flanking machine-gun fire. He pushed forward to the outpost lines through heavy artillery and machine-gun fire to keep in touch with all his company. On October 3–4 he made a personal reconnaissance on the left flank of his division through heavy shell fire and continual sniping and gained information which enabled him to well place his battalion and cover an exposed flank.
Between wars
In 1920, Bruce married Roberta Linnell Kennedy. The couple made their home in Bryan, TexasBryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
, near Texas A&M, and Bruce taught military science and tactics at Allen Academy. They had three children. For the next two decades Bruce continued to serve in the Army. He served with the 33rd Infantry
33rd Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 33rd Infantry Regiment was an American unit stationed in the Panama Canal Zone and Caribbean from 1916-1956. Though providing troops for various other American military formations, the Regiment had no battle honours of its own.-History:...
in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, participated in historical work at the Army War College and served on the War Department general staff revising textbooks on military doctrine. He also furthered his own knowledge of military tactics, attending the Infantry School, the Field Artillery School, the Command and General Staff College
Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military officers. The college was established in 1881 by William Tecumseh Sherman as a...
, the Army War College, and the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
.
World War II
Tank destroyer
A tank destroyer is a type of armored fighting vehicle armed with a gun or missile launcher, and is designed specifically to engage enemy armored vehicles...
center. He chose Killeen, Texas
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
for the new camp, and named it Fort Hood for General John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
. On September 9, 1942, he was promoted to major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
. The following year he became commander of the 77th Infantry Division. Under his leadership the group participated in campaigns in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, and Ryukyu. At Leyte, in the Philippines, the division was responsible for taking Palompon, the last main port the Japanese held on the island. During the ten-day battle for that area of the island, from December 21 through December 31, 1944, the division estimated that they had killed 5,779 Japanese soldiers and taken 29 prisoners, with only 17 Americans killed, 116 wounded, and 6 missing in action. For his service the government of the Philippines later awarded him the Philippine Legion of Honor
Philippine Legion of Honor
The Philippine Legion of Honor was established by President Manuel Roxas, through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit of the United States of America, and was meant to honor both civilians and members of the...
, the Philippine Liberation Medal
Philippine Liberation Medal
The Philippine Liberation Medal is a military award of the Republic of the Philippines which was created by an order of Commonwealth Army of the Philippines Headquarters on December 20, 1944...
, and the Presidential Unit Citation.
In April 1945, the 77th Division was ordered to seize the island of Ie Shima in the Ryukyu islands so that the US Army could use the island's airfields to support assaults on Okinawa and other islands in Japan. During the six-day battle to secure the island, 4,706 Japanese soldiers and civilians were killed, while 172 Americans were killed, 902 were wounded, and 46 were missing. During the battle, famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle
Ernest Taylor Pyle was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during World War II. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944...
was killed by a sniper. Bruce and his men buried Pyle on the island, later erecting a monument to him. Despite the fact that the Japanese had tried to destroy the airfields, army engineers were able to have all taxiways and runways fully operational by mid-May. For his service during World War II, Bruce was twice more awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Post-World War II
After Japan surrendered, Bruce served as the military governor of HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. In 1946, he was transferred to be commander of the 7th Infantry Division which was occupying Korea. He returned to the U.S. in October 1947, becoming deputy army commander of the Fourth Army stationed at Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the first President of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston....
in Texas. His primary responsibilities were to assist with the training activities of the ROTC
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
, National Guard and Organized Reserve Corps of five states.
Bruce became commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
of the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
in early July 1951 and was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
on July 30, 1951. He retired from the army on July 31, 1954. Bruce's decorations included the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
, Army Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster
Oak leaf cluster
An oak leaf cluster is a common device which is placed on U.S. Army and Air Force awards and decorations to denote those who have received more than one bestowal of a particular decoration. The number of oak leaf clusters typically indicates the number of subsequent awards of the decoration...
, Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Service Medal
The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919. The decoration is the Navy and Marine Corps equivalent to the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the Coast...
, Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, an Air Medal
Air Medal
The Air Medal is a military decoration of the United States. The award was created in 1942, and is awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.-Criteria:...
and the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
.
University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on September 1, 1954, one month after retiring from military service. He succeeded interim president C. F. McElhinney. Shortly after arriving, Bruce noted that the university was missing something which he considered fundamental—a chapel for student use located on campus. He remarked to the Director of Religious Activities that if you "[e]xclude religion entirely from education...you have no foundation upon which to build moral character."
A year after he took office, Bruce began investigating whether there would be interest in building a religious center and chapel complex at the school. After several years of negotiations with the various religious denominations which had operated on and off campus, Bruce engineered a consensus that the university would build a center based on the model of the Armed Forces Base Chapel. The new religious center would have a single chapel which would be shared by all of the groups, and office space for each group. The center opened in 1965 and was named for Bruce.
In 1956, Bruce was appointed the first chancellor of the university, in addition to his duties as president. The following year he organized a Board of Governors, consisting of the Board of Regents and other prominent Houstonians. In November 1959 this governing board sought state support for the university, which had grown rapidly under Bruce's leadership. During Bruce's tenure, the "University's curriculum standards and faculty both improved and the University became better-known." He retired from chancellorship in 1961.
Later years
Bruce was president of the Houston Chamber of Commerce and was also a MasonFreemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and a Shriner.
Bruce retired from academia during the 1960-1961 school year and moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He died on July 28, 1969 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
. In 1972, the state of Texas erected a historical marker in his memory in Killeen
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
at Fort Hood.
In addition, Interstate 35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
through Temple was named "General Bruce Drive".