Remembering Dr. Bruce Roche
Dr. Bruce Roche was the primary scholarship coordinator for more than 26 years. In honor of his service, the scholarship was renamed after him in 1996. His devotion to AAEF and his commitment to scholastic achievement among students in the State of Alabama earned him the admiration and respect of his peers.
Dr. Roche passed away in spring of 2021. He is remembered for his generous spirit and years of dedication to the students, always searching for ways to support a student who desired a career in the advertising field.
AAEF is currently accepting donations to the scholarship fund in his name. If you would like to contribute, please contact AAEFalabama@gmail.com.
Dr. Bruce Roche
1930 - 2021
Dr. Bruce Ware Roche was born in Fort Worth. His interest in advertising started while working for the Waco Tribune in Waco, Texas as a youth.
He enlisted in the US Army in November 1952 and served approximately two years of active service. Proud of his military service, he retired from the United States Army Reserve after serving some 10 years in the 90th Infantry (Texas/Oklahoma Division) under General James Earl Rudder.
Dr. Roche started and pursued his career as an educator at Southwest Texas State College in San Marcos, Texas where he served as faculty advisor to the College Star from 1958 through 1967. While furthering his graduate education, he taught at Southern Illinois University and West Texas State University. Joining the faculty at the University of Alabama in 1972, he continued there for 22 years until his retirement in May 1994.
He served as faculty adviser to the University of Alabama student advertising teams 10 times during his tenure at Alabama. His student teams won the District 7 Student Advertising Competition on 2 occasions.
Dr. Roche became an active member of the Greater Tuscaloosa Ad Club (Tuscaloosa Advertising Federation) and served as its President in 1975-76. In 1976, he became a leader in the Seventh “Deep South” District of the AAF when he served as Treasurer. He continued his leadership role in the District and was Governor in 1980-81.
For his career of service to advertising education and the advertising industry in general, Dr. Roche received many honors including the Silver Medal Award of the Tuscaloosa Advertising Federation in 1979 and the District 7 Otis Dodge Award in 1982. He was selected to receive the District 7 Jay Fields Hall of Fame Award in 1988 (which has only been awarded to four Former Governors since 1975) and was honored as the District 7 Educator of the Year in receiving the Donald G. Hileman Award in 1989.
In 1996, the Alabama Advertising Clubs Scholarship was renamed the Bruce Roche Scholarship by chapters of the American Advertising Federation across Alabama.
In 1998, he received Honorary Member Emeritus status from the Tuscaloosa Advertising Federation. In 1999, he received an international advertising and appreciation award for creating an ideal training program for the Russian advertising delegation.
Dr. Roche was the 2007 inductee of the Fred W. Adams Hall of Fame at Texas State University.
In 2014, he received the Distinguished Advertising Educator Award from the AAF and in 2018 AAF Tuscaloosa established the Dr. Bruce Roche Hall of Fame Award.
Despite the lengthy list of awards and honors, the summation of Dr. Roche’s life is really about the love of his family, his dedication to his students and colleagues, the pride he had in his military career and his heritage as a life-long Texan.