Alvan Macauley
Encyclopedia
James Alvan Macauley, Sr. was the president of Packard Motor Company
from 1916 until 1939.
, West Virginia
to James A. Macauley and Rebecca Jane Mills. Macauley's father was a veteran of the American Civil War
and was imprisoned for nine months in a Confederate
war prison camp. The elder Macauley became the first secretary of state
for West Virginia after the Civil War.
The Macauleys moved to Washington D.C. where Alvan was educated in the public school system. Alvan attended Lehigh University
in Pennsylvania
and gained an engineering degree. He also graduated from Columbian College (now known as George Washington University
) with a law degree
. He took a job as a patent attorney
with the National Cash Register Company. Macauley married Estelle Littlepage in 1895.
in 1901 to become the head of American Arithmometer
Company. Macauley revitalized the company and by 1905 sought to expand the operation. He set his eye on a certain alley, but the city was unwilling to give it to him, as his predecessor, who had left the company on angry terms, still had political pull in the city and was blocking the move. Macauley responded by traveling to Detroit, securing an alley there, and returning to St. Louis. At night after business hours, he had the entire factory loaded onto boxcar
s and shipped to Michigan
. The next morning, city officials awoke to find the factory gone. Macauley led American Arithmometer — which would become Burroughs Adding Machine Company — for five years in Detroit. In 1910 he was hired as general manager
of Packard by Henry Bourne Joy
.
engine enabled the automaker to step away from the competition and establish itself as an industry leader throughout the 1910s and 1920s. An eight-cylinder car that began production in 1923 became a favorite of European
royalty
and among the wealthiest American consumers.
The Great Depression
devastated the luxury car market. Macauley responded by seeking a foothold in the mid-priced car market. He gained it in 1935 when he hired a team of engineers from Ford Motor Company
, General Motors
, and Chrysler Corporation, who helped Packard produce a car that sold for $980 — $650 less than any Packard automobile. The success of the lower-priced car ended the financial crisis at Packard.
Macauley stepped down as president of Packard in 1939. He stayed on as chairman of the board
until 1948. Packard continued to produce mid-priced cars in the years following World War II
. Macauley resigned from Packard in 1948 after the company lost its place as the leading luxury-car maker in America to Cadillac
.
in 1929 after testifying before the Senate Finance Committee's subcommittee at the behest of Pennsylvania
Senator David A. Reed
. Time magazine's biography of Macualey noted that he was an avid golf
er and woodworker
, and an excellent marksman
.
Macauley had several personality quirks including a dislike of people who jingled the change in their pockets or had gold fillings in their teeth. A sign over his office door proclaimed: "Important If True." Often his truths were the only ones that counted at Packard.
Macauley died on January 16, 1952 in Clearwater, Florida
from an attack of uremic poisoning and pneumonia
. He was survived by his wife, three children, ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
from 1916 until 1939.
Early life and education
Alvan, as he preferred to be called, was born in WheelingWheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
to James A. Macauley and Rebecca Jane Mills. Macauley's father was a veteran of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and was imprisoned for nine months in a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
war prison camp. The elder Macauley became the first secretary of state
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
for West Virginia after the Civil War.
The Macauleys moved to Washington D.C. where Alvan was educated in the public school system. Alvan attended Lehigh University
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and gained an engineering degree. He also graduated from Columbian College (now known as George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
) with a law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
. He took a job as a patent attorney
Patent attorney
A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition...
with the National Cash Register Company. Macauley married Estelle Littlepage in 1895.
Company head
Macauley moved to St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1901 to become the head of American Arithmometer
Arithmometer
An Arithmometer or Arithmomètre was a mechanical calculator that could add and subtract directly and could perform long multiplications and divisions effectively by using a movable accumulator for the result. Patented in France by Thomas de Colmar in 1820 and manufactured from 1851 to 1915, it...
Company. Macauley revitalized the company and by 1905 sought to expand the operation. He set his eye on a certain alley, but the city was unwilling to give it to him, as his predecessor, who had left the company on angry terms, still had political pull in the city and was blocking the move. Macauley responded by traveling to Detroit, securing an alley there, and returning to St. Louis. At night after business hours, he had the entire factory loaded onto boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s and shipped to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The next morning, city officials awoke to find the factory gone. Macauley led American Arithmometer — which would become Burroughs Adding Machine Company — for five years in Detroit. In 1910 he was hired as general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of Packard by Henry Bourne Joy
Henry Bourne Joy
Henry Bourne Joy was President of the Packard Motor Car Company, and a major developer of automotive activities as well as being a social activist....
.
Packard president
Alvan Macauley became the president of Packard in 1916. He oversaw an era when Packard was the leader in the luxury car market. He hired Jesse Vincent, an engineer who led the technical development at Packard. Packard's "twin-six" twelve-cylinderCylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
engine enabled the automaker to step away from the competition and establish itself as an industry leader throughout the 1910s and 1920s. An eight-cylinder car that began production in 1923 became a favorite of European
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
royalty
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
and among the wealthiest American consumers.
Great Depression in the United States
The Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October, 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement...
devastated the luxury car market. Macauley responded by seeking a foothold in the mid-priced car market. He gained it in 1935 when he hired a team of engineers from Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, and Chrysler Corporation, who helped Packard produce a car that sold for $980 — $650 less than any Packard automobile. The success of the lower-priced car ended the financial crisis at Packard.
Macauley stepped down as president of Packard in 1939. He stayed on as chairman of the board
Chairman of the Board
The Chairman of the Board is a seat of office in an organization, especially of corporations.Chairman of the Board may also refer to:*Chairman of the Board , a 1998 film*Chairmen of the Board , a 1970s American soul music group...
until 1948. Packard continued to produce mid-priced cars in the years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Macauley resigned from Packard in 1948 after the company lost its place as the leading luxury-car maker in America to Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
.
Organizations
Macauley served as president of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce. He appeared on the cover of Time magazineTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
in 1929 after testifying before the Senate Finance Committee's subcommittee at the behest of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Senator David A. Reed
David A. Reed
David Aiken Reed was an American lawyer and Republican party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate....
. Time magazine's biography of Macualey noted that he was an avid golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and woodworker
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
, and an excellent marksman
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
.
Macauley had several personality quirks including a dislike of people who jingled the change in their pockets or had gold fillings in their teeth. A sign over his office door proclaimed: "Important If True." Often his truths were the only ones that counted at Packard.
Macauley died on January 16, 1952 in Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
from an attack of uremic poisoning and pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. He was survived by his wife, three children, ten grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.