Bruce Tansill Aiken

Portrait of Bruce Tansill Aiken Headstone Photograph

Full Name: Bruce Tansill Aiken
Location: Section:Statesman's Meadow, Section 1 (E)
Row:J  Number:30
Reason for Eligibility: Member, Texas Professional Practices Commission; Member, Texas Historical Records Advisory Board; Member, Texas Historical Commission 
Birth Date: September 5, 1921 
Died: December 10, 2002 
Burial Date: December 23, 2002 
 

AIKEN, BRUCE TANSILL (1921~2002)

The following obituary was taken from The Brownsville Herald, December 12, 2002.

Bruce Tansill Aiken, appointed state official and noted Brownsville historian, was born on September 5, 1921, in Brownsville, Texas to Riley and Olga Tansill Aiken. He graduated from Brownsville High School in 1939 and from Brownsville Junior College in 1941. He received a BBA from Texas A&I in 1949 and a MBA from Pan American University in Brownsville in 1960.

Mr. Aiken served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a cryptographer. He was attached to the 1st Marine Division in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands and Guam under Admiral Chester Nimitz. He was a graduate of the U.S. Army Armoured School in Ft. Knox, Ky. He was a member of the Texas National Guard, retired as Major of the U.S. Army Reserves and as a Colonel of the Texas State Guard.

Mr. Aiken was employed by the Brownsville Independent School District for 38 years and by Pan American University in Brownsville for 10 years. He was a contributing columnist to the Brownsville Herald on local history. He was a Past President and Director of the Brownsville Historical Association; served on the Cameron County Historical Commission; served a six-year term on the Texas State Historical Commission, appointed by Gov. George W. Bush; served nine years on the Texas Teachers Professional Practices Commission; three years on the Texas State Historical Record Advisory Board; two terms on the Board of Directors of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce; several terms as Director of Charro Days Inc., including a term as First Vice-President; Chairman of Brownsville Commission Nations Bicentenial; Co-Chairman of the Brownsville Committee Civil War Centenial; member of the Civil War Patrol; founding President of the Brownsville Teachers Credit Union; lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars; charter member of the Brownsville Jaycees and was a Deacon at Christ the King Catholic Church and St. Luke Catholic Church under Monsig?or Juan Nicolau.

Mr. Aiken passed away on December 10, 2002, and was interred in the Texas State Cemetery on December 23, 2002.

Aiken was married to the former Irma Santoscoy and had three children: Corinthia Aiken, Allison Elaine Aiken, and Eric Gerard Aiken.

Notes:

#9069) Texas Teachers Professional Practices Commission March 5, 1975 to August 31, 1977 and March 22, 1978 to August 30, 1980. Texas Historical Records Advisory Board July 16, 1993 to July 11, 1996. Texas Historical Commission April 20, 1995 to February 1, 2001.
Entered by c l on 5/20/1999 3:45:29 PM

Additional Multimedia Files To Download:
No additional files available.
 

Search by Name.