Frank Turner Francis C. "Frank" Turner began his career with the Bureau of Public Roads in 1929, a recent graduate of Texas A&M. His 43 year career would see him shoulder responsibilities for construction of the Alaskan Highway during World War II, and the rebuilding of the Philippine highway system following the war.

Thomas H. MacDonald Thomas H. MacDonald, who served as the chief of the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) for 34 years, is the towering figure of road transportation in the 20^th century. He has no equal, and even today, the United States enjoys his legacy in the mobility that characterizes our life and the sustained economic strength of our nation.

Herbert S. Fairbank Herbert Fairbank was a native of Baltimore, Md., and lived there his entire life, commuting to his job in Washington, D.C. After graduating from Cornell University with a civil engineering degree in 1910, he spent a few months with the Bureau of Mines before joining the Office of Public Roads as a student engineer. Except for a stint as a captain in the U.S. Army during World War I, he was employed for the rest of his life by the Bureau of Public Roads.

Albert Gore, Sr. A U.S. Senator from Carthage, Tennessee, Albert Gore, Sr. had a major role in the political battle for the Interstate Highway System. Along with Rep. George H. ("Highways") Fallon from Maryland, Gore was a key congressional player in reaching the compromise that led to the 1956 Federal-Aid Act, often called the Fallon-Gore Act. The act provided $25 billion for twelve years to fund the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. In honor of his role in the Interstate system, part of I-65 in Tennessee has been named the Albert Gore, Sr. Memorial Highway.

George Fallon Rep. George Fallon, chairman of the Subcommittee on Roads in the Committee on Public Works, was sometimes called "The Big Man From Baltimore" partially because he stood 1.88 meters (6 feet 2 inches) tall. Even while serving in Congress, he lived in Baltimore, commuting daily to Capitol Hill via the Pennsylvania Railroad. Although he played a pivotal role in creation of the Interstate Highway System, he disliked driving, especially freeway driving.

Prescott Bush The first major issue confronting Senator Bush as a freshman member of the Committee on Public Works and its Subcommittee on Roads in 1953 was the President's proposed Interstate Highway Program. He strongly supported "these modern, divided-lane highways which we so urgently need for reasons of traffic safety, economic development, and defense." The problem was how to pay for them. The President proposed to finance construction by issuing bonds, with revenue from highway user taxes dedicated to repaying bondholders. Senior Republicans declined to endorse the proposal, which never made much headway in Congress. However, as a natural leader, Bush stepped easily into the role of chief Senate backer of the President's proposal.

Harvey Firestone Born on Dec. 20, 1868, on a farm near Columbiana, Ohio, Harvey Firestone became successful as a carriage salesman and saw possibilities in manufacturing rubber carriage tires. He established the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in Akron in 1900. Early in the 20^th century, Firestone joined the "Good Roads" movement, supported the efforts of the Lincoln Highway Association to create the first transcontinental highway, and in 1916 advocated the creation of the first interstate highway system. To this day, Firestone tires are moving goods around the country on the nation's highways and interstates.