City of Syracuse in honor of a man who taught thousands how to drive – This is CNY

The man responsible for teaching thousands of people in Central New York to drive is being honored today by the city of Syracuse.

This morning at 11 a.m. an honorary street sign recognizing Mr. Andrew Branch will be placed on the 200 block of North Franklin Street, honoring “his dedication and the many outstanding roles he has played in the community.”

The event will be held at the corner of North Franklin Street and Herald Place near the driving school in downtown Branch.

Branch, a Korean War veteran, Syracuse University graduate and Empire State Games medalist, founded Branch’s Driving School in 1963 with an old Ford and $800 borrowed from his mother.

It was one of the first and longest-running black-owned businesses in Syracuse.

If you grew up in Central New York, there’s a good chance Branch and his family helped you learn to drive.

Branch’s driving schools have trained about 800,000 new drivers between 1963 and 2017, according to Branch’s son.

Branch died last month in South Carolina at age 91.