Andrew Arthur McBride was born April 18, 1878 in Lafayette, Louisiana, the son of Aureliss and Sophie Whittington McBride. He attended public schools in Lafayette, and graduated from Louisiana State University in 1901. He later received his Master’s degree from LSU in 1927. He married Laura Melancon in 1903; they had no children.

After he graduated from LSU, McBride became a commandant at Rugby Academy in New Orleans. He later returned to Lafayette as a teacher, and then principal at the Old Southside School and the Central School. He then became a Supervisor of Education for thirty years. In 1946, he was appointed Superintendent of Education for Lafayette Parish, and served in that position until 1948 when he retired from public education.

While he was in the education system, he worked to abolish small schools operated by separate school districts and to establish a parish-wide school system. He was a supporter of locating Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute in Lafayette rather than in New Iberia. While he was a principal of the Southside School, teacher Marie Himel and a group of local women started a soup kitchen to provide a warm meal to school children. This was the beginning of what is a statewide school lunch program today.

After retiring from the school system, Mr. Mac, as he was known, joined with James Alpha to publish a weekly newspaper, The Lafayette Progress. This newspaper was later acquired by the Daily Advertiser. McBride was employed by the Advertiser until 1964, when he once again retired. Andrew A. McBride died in March 1971 in Lafayette and was buried in St. John Cemetery.