Preparing the Next Generation
Jimmy Smith, a 1977 Construction Engineering Technology major, smiles when he recalls his time as a student at Alfred State College. He remembers fun times like sliding down the ski slope on a cafeteria tray, but more importantly, he remembers the impact the professors had on him.
Smith, the first in his family to go to college, remembers his professors by name and even recalls where they lived and what part time jobs they might have had. Specifically, Smith speaks glowingly of the bond that he and his classmates had with Professor William ‘Doc’ Bruce.
“Doc Bruce was already a legend back then. He showed us how what we learned in the classroom applied to real life situations. He loved and embraced the college and the students. He realized that the students were the number one asset of the college. He was the hall of fame coach, he was the coach you wanted to play for, and the coach you wanted to make proud. He brought the best out of us.”
They all taught from the heart and they gave us classroom and real world experience. On day one, we were told that not everyone would be there if we did not work hard. The work ethic we learned, how challenged we were daily, and how dedicated the staff was sticks with me to this day.
Bruce was a beloved mentor for Pioneer students for more than two decades. He was the initial adviser for the Alfred State College General Contractors (AGC) student chapter. He worked tirelessly with industry leaders, including the New York State Asphalt Pavement Association (NYSAPA) to connect students with industry through site visits and internships.
“In the late 1960’s, ‘Doc’ Bruce received a grant and built a lab. He had the foresight and wisdom to build a lab with the needed equipment for his current students but had enough money left to replace that equipment 15-20 years later.”
Smith, the founder and president of Advance Testing Company Inc., has teamed up with fellow 1977 graduate and friend Gary Hill, president of Union Concrete Construction Corporation, to honor their mentor ‘Doc’ Bruce. The two are co-chairing a campaign to build the Doc Bruce Construction Materials Laboratory. The state-of-the-art lab will honor Doc Bruce’s memory and support students in the Civil Engineering Technology department.
“Now is time for another upgrade! We want to make sure we are teaching and the students are working with the most state-of-the-art equipment that is available to the industry. We want to give the next generation the same opportunity we had from ‘Doc’ Bruce.”
“Doc Bruce stayed in touch with all of us. He made sure we were happy. His mission was to make sure his students got jobs and worked in the field. I still have all my books from college. I refer to them often and share them with my employees.”
One of Smith’s favorite memories of his time at ASC, is when he and Hill converted a janitor’s closet into a coffee shop. They sold donuts and coffee daily to students and faculty. They used the profits to fund class trips. One of the class trips, a trip to the National Asphalt Pavement Association conference outside of Washington, DC, led Smith to his first job with Ward Pavement.
Smith started his company, Advance Testing, at age 27 and currently has 160 employees, ten whom have worked for him for over 32 years. His company attends all of ASC’s Career Fairs and currently has Alfred State students interning within his organization.
Advance Testing operates a state-of-the-art, accredited materials testing laboratory in Campbell Hall, with additional facilities in Central New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida, which allows the firm to service projects across the East Coast, as well as in parts of Canada. Over the years, Advance Testing has been involved in the construction of the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge (Tappan Zee Bridge replacement), the Resorts World Catskills casino, the Freedom Tower, the Central Artery/Tunnel in Boston, and Legoland Theme Park in Goshen.
Smith and Hill have a goal of raising $500,000 for the Doc Bruce Construction Materials Laboratory. Currently $400,000 of that goal has been raised.
Smith returns to campus whenever possible and memories of living and learning on campus flood his mind. “We worked hard and every day was a memory. Alfred State was a home away from home.”
