Carnegie Mellon University - Thistle Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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WILLIAM McCONWAY R. McCONWAY was bom in Ireland on St. Valentine's Day, in 184. . lie is as proud of Itis Irish birth as Mr. Carnegie is of bis own Scotch ancestry. Mr. McComvay springs from that fine strain of blood frequently referred to as Scotch Irish. I ut he insists that the Scotch-Irish are a myth, and that he is nothing more than Irish. When seven years of age. his parents emigrated to Amer-ica and settled with him at Pittsburgh. He entered the public schools, which he attended for five years. At twelve years of age he graduated into the school oi Experience, entering the service of the Old Novelty Iron Works Co. Leaving them aiter six months, he secured employment with OInhausen Crawford, with whom he remained until the breaking out of the Civil War. When the call to arms was sounded, the fighting instinct, which lurks in the heart of every Irishman, stirred the blood of young McComvay, and urged him forth to fight for his adopted land. In September of 1861, he enlisted for three years with the One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania Volunteers a a private, and with that regiment saw much hard service. They were in the fray at Williamsburg, at Fair Oaks, at Malvern Hill. Gettysburg, the Wilderness. Spottsylvania. Cold Harbor, and at the Siege of Petersburg, lie was early promoted to Ik Sergeant-Major, and some time later to be Second Lieutenant, holding the latter rank until the end of his term of rvice. In 1864 he received his honorable discharge and came back to Pittsburgh, where he went to work for his . Id employers. OInhausen Crawford. After the death of the senior partner. Mr. McComvay became the junior partner. Again in 1869. he moved up a round further on the ladder to success, forming a company with Samuel I-cwis and John J. Tor-ley. and engaging in the manufacture of saddlery hardware and malleable castings. After a short time Lewi withdrew and the firm name became McComvay. Torlev Co. In 1887 the McComvay Torlcy Co. was incorporated. He abandoned the manufacture of saddlery in 1873. substituting instead the Janney coupler, that humane device which prevents careless enginemen from killing the brakemen when coupling cars together. Their wisdom in specializing on the manufacture of this coupler has been proven. All railroads have adopted it. and the little plant, employing thirty-five men in 1873. has grown, until now it occupies fifteen acres of ground, and employs over two thousand men. 14

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This Volume Is respectfully dedicated to WILLIAM MaCONWAV who, as Chairman of the Committee on Technical Schools, has suix’ivised the development of our iivslilution so faithfully and well. '3

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Mr. McComvav is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce, and lias served on numerous public commissions, notably the Commission on Filtered Water. He has also served on the Hoard of Trustees of St. Margaret's Hospital, and i a member of the Art Society, and one of the backers of the Pittsburgh Orchestra, lie has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institute for a number of years, and when Mr. Carnegie turned the development of the Technical schools over to that board. Mr. McComvay was named on the Committee on Plan and Scope, ami became chairman of that committee. They made an extensive study of the subject, calling on many educators for information and ideas, and finally prepared an exhaustive report, which was very satisfactory to the Board of Trustees. And now who was lietter qualified to carry on the work than these same men who had been studying and thinking about technical education? So. the same men constituted the Committee on Technical Schools, with Mr. McComvay again at their head. After they had selected a director, much of the work was turned over to him. However, Director Ilamerschlag acknowledges that tile schools owe much of their wonderful growth and development to the steadfast loyalty and quiet encouragement given him by Mr. McComvay. Personally. Mr. McComvay is a quiet and unassuming man. reticent and extremely modest, so modest, in fact, that although he is practically head of our institution, but few of the students know exactly what relation lie liears to us. and many arc not even familiar with the name. I le prefers to act rather than talk, which makes his sendees in demand for all kinds of enterprises, public and private. I le is not satisfied by helping a deserving enterprise financially, but usually is willing to give his lalior and time, putting the same care and energy into the public enterprise as go into his own private business. Among his colleagues. Mr. McComvay is known as a man who never neglects a public trust, even at a private sacrifice. He is a lover of literature, an omnivorous reader, and the wonder is how he can devote so much of his time to public enterprise without injuring his own extensive private interests. The keystone of this well-rounded character is a reputation for honesty and integrity that is as solid and immovable as the rugged hills of his ancestors. S. M. I... ’o8 A. S. '5