A Tale of Two Brothers
Bob '42 and Anabel Bruce
When it came to choosing colleges, brothers Robert (Bob) Bruce and E. Ivan Bruce Jr. had different ideas. Bob, a member of the Ross Volunteers, received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1942. Ivan, the older sibling by four years, was awarded his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, then went on to get his M.D. at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston. The two brothers also went separate directions in their professional lives, but both built successful careers.During World War II, Dr. Bruce served in the Navy Medical Corps as a lieutenant from 1943 to 1945. He returned to Texas and was a member of the faculty in the Psychiatry Department at UTMB for almost four decades, while acting as interim chair of the department for six years. Dr. Bruce retired in 1985 and was honored by being named Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry.
After serving as a captain in the U.S. Army's 4th Armored Division during World War II from 1943 to 1946, Bob worked as a field engineer and district manager for SKF Industries for two decades. He also had the great fortune to meet his wife of more than 50 years, Anabel, on a blind date in Houston. The couple moved to Dallas in 1956 and started their own company, Applied Energy Company, Inc. (AEC), in 1967.
The Bruces ran AEC successfully until 1989 when they sold the company and established the Robert M. and Anabel S. Bruce Charitable Remainder Unitrust. In addition to making designations to Texas A&M scholarship funds, as well as religious, health care and public charity organizations, the Bruces founded the E. Ivan Bruce, Jr., M.D. Professorship in Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the College of Medicine in honor of Bob's late brother.
"My brother was always a good and willing supporter for me when I needed him," Bruce says. "One of his greatest passions was medical education, so it just felt proper to establish this professorship in memory of him."
These days, the Bruces make the most of their retirement, traveling in the United States and abroad several weeks each year and serving as active members in their church. A loyal and dedicated Aggie, Bob is involved with various Texas A&M organizations and has made gifts to A&M scholarship funds and the Dwight Look College of Engineering. He also finds time to play golf and participate in several veterans groups.
The Bruce's generosity will ultimately establish a permanent legacy in memory of Dr. E. Ivan Bruce at the College of Medicine. Their gift represents the couple's devotion to Texas A&M, a belief in the importance of medical education and the love of a brother.
When asked why he and his wife chose to give to the A&M College of Medicine, Bob puts it simply, "We have always kept A&M at the top of our list, because it is important to give back to those who helped us succeed in life."
