Tracy W. McGregor
Encyclopedia
Tracy William McGregor was a humanitarian, philanthropist
, and Detroit civic leader. He established the McGregor Fund of Michigan in 1925 with a gift of $5,000, one of Michigan's first charitable foundations. He successfully ran the Mission for Homeless Men (later the McGregor Institute) in Detroit from 1891 until it closed its doors in 1935, first as supervisor and then as a managing trustee. In 1917, he helped organize the Detroit Community Union and Patriotic Fund, forerunners of today's United Community Services. Tracy and his business associates began the Provident Loan and Savings Society, which provided loans at low interest rates. He also helped create the Thursday Noon Group, which met to discuss important community issues like justice in the courts and prisons. Tracy became a trustee and financial supporter of the Merrill-Palmer Institute and several universities.
, to Berlin Heights, Ohio
, in 1866. Thomas was in the music business, selling pianos, but felt something was missing from his life. In 1887, he abruptly quit the piano business to "serve the Lord." Though his family was shocked as they had no other source of income, Thomas assured them that the Lord would take care of them. In November 1888, he founded the Bethany Mission in downtown Toledo, Ohio
. The mission was a success. By 1889, the mission was moved to a new building and opened as the Toledo Helping Hand Mission.
Thomas was so pleased with the success of the Mission that he decided to open a series of missions in other Great Lakes areas. The Mission for Homeless Men opened in Detroit, Michigan
, on April 3, 1891. Thomas had contracted a severe respiratory illness from the hard labor under harsh weather conditions during the renovation of the Mission's building, and he missed the opening day ceremonies. He never recovered from that illness and died April 24, 1891.
Tracy McGregor had been a student at Oberlin College
in Oberlin, Ohio
, for about two years when he got word of his father's death. He immediately quit school, packed his bags, and headed for Detroit to continue his father's work. Tracy never finished his education. At 22, Tracy abruptly found himself as head of his family; in addition to his mother, his brother Murray (1879) and sister Ruth (1881) were still at home. Elizabeth stayed in Toledo running the Helping Hand Mission, while Tracy concentrated his efforts in Detroit.
Tracy married Katherine Whitney (January 18, 1873-June 9, 1954), daughter of David Whitney and Flora Ann McLauchlin, on November 20, 1901, in San Francisco, California
. The couple had no children. David Whitney was one of the wealthiest men in Michigan and contributed frequently to the Mission for Homeless Men. Tracy and Katherine may have met during one of Tracy's visits to the Whitney mansion on Woodward Avenue in Detroit or when Katherine volunteered at the Children's Free Hospital.
Tracy McGregor died suddenly from a heart attack on May 6, 1936, in Washington, DC. His widow, Katherine, died June 9, 1954, in Beacon, New York. The couple is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery
in Detroit.
In 1911, the board of trustees changed the name of the Mission to the McGregor Institute. In 1916, Tracy stepped down as superintendent of the Mission after Murray agreed to take his place at the helm. He remained as a managing trustee of the Institute. Throughout the years, the mission provided housing and food for more than 500,000 men. During the 1930s, the U.S. government began programs for the poor; as a consequence, the Institute closed its doors in 1935 and the building was donated to Goodwill Industries
.
, Detroit Rescue Mission, Michigan Audubon Society, Grace Reform Mission, Michigan Child Labor Association, Boy Scouts of America
, Salvation Army
, Society of St. Vincent dePaul, Crittenden House, Thompson Home for Homeless Ladies, Visiting Nurses Association, Protestant Orphan Asylum, and the Women's Board of Home Missions." Much of the McGregors' interest in these organizations was fueled by the plight of the large immigrant population that arrived in Detroit in the early twentieth century. The city was ill equipped for the influx in terms of housing, city services, and health care.
The McGregors established the benevolent McGregor Fund in 1925 to "relieve the misfortunes and promote the well being of mankind." Tracy was elected president and treasurer of the fund. The McGregors gave major gifts to the fund between 1929 and 1934, totaling about $6 million. Generous grants were (and still are) given to charitable organizations that fit within the interests of the McGregors, including homeless support agencies, education, and mental hygiene programs.
In 1900, Michigan Governor Aaron T. Bliss
appointed Tracy to the State Board of Corrections and Charities as the Wayne County agent. This experience introduced him to the problem many Detroiters faced when trying to buy a home or automobile--loans with reasonable interest rates were unavailable. In 1906, Tracy formed the Provident Loan and Savings Society, along with friends J. L. Hudson, James Ingles, and Dexter M. Ferry, Jr. Hudson was the first president and Tracy served as one of the directors for the rest of his life. The Provident Loan and Savings Society was able to provide loans at a 3 to 5 percent interest rate, which caused other lenders to lower their rates.
In 1911, the Detroit Board of Commerce appointed Tracy to a state committee to investigate the Michigan State Prison
in Jackson
. The investigation highlighted the inhumane "Cell Block," which led to the prison's reform.
In 1912, he invited a number of business and professional leaders to get together to discuss problems in Detroit. This group became the "Thursday Noon Group," which devoted special attention to the "social needs of the rising population, especially in the areas of city planning, sanitary housing, playgrounds for children, industrial education, child labor, and workmen's compensation laws." Tracy chaired the meetings when he was in town. In 1914, the Thursday Noon Group was responsible for encouraging Michigan legislators to create the Michigan Farm Colony for Epileptics at Caro, Michigan
(now the Caro Center, a state-operated psychiatric hospital).
In 1913, Tracy was chosen to reorganize the Associated Charities of Detroit; in December 1917, the Detroit Community Union was formed and he was elected as chair of the new organization. He was also part of a financial federation that formed the Detroit Patriotic Fund to coordinate the fundraising campaigns for the war effort during World War I.
In 1913, after her husband Thomas W. Palmer
's death, Lizzie Pitts Merrill Palmer set aside $3 million to establish the Merrill-Palmer Motherhood and Home Training School. She never lived to see the school founded, as she died in 1916. Tracy McGregor was named to the board of trustees for the Palmer Estate in 1918, and was elected president in 1919. He served as president of the renamed Merrill-Palmer Institute until his death in 1936.
Tracy led a campaign to provide better training and care for "higher-grade feeble-minded children." His efforts were rewarded when voters approved a bond to create the Wayne County Training School in Northville, Michigan
. The school opened in 1925 and Tracy was appointed its first president. He served on the administrative board of control for 11 years. The school was closed in 1974.
, after an exhaustive search for the appropriate repository. The McGregor Fund also donated $25,000 to the university to create the Tracy W. McGregor Library of American History to house his collection.
In 1932, Tracy developed the "McGregor Plan for the Encouragement of Book Collecting by American College Libraries," which was designed to help smaller colleges and universities outside of New England or away from major universities purchase rare Americana books for their libraries. The Committee on Americana for College Libraries was created by the American Historical Association
(AHA) in 1933 to administer the McGregor Plan. In 1934, Tracy was appointed to the committee and was also elected to the board of trustees of the AHA.
The McGregor Fund financed the McGregor Plan. Until his death in 1936, Tracy bought all of the books that were made available to the libraries as part of the Plan. Participating colleges contributed $500 annually and the McGregor Fund matched with an additional $500, so each institution was able to receive $1,000 worth of rare books each year. Considering that the McGregor Plan was in effect from 1934 to 1943, most of which coincided with the Great Depression
years, many rare and valuable Americana books were able to be purchased at affordable prices. The McGregor Plan was suspended in 1943 because of World War II and was never reinstated.
Institutions that benefitted from the McGregor Plan include:
♦ Albion College, Albion, Michigan
♦ Baylor University, Waco, Texas
♦ Carlton College, Northfield, Minnesota
♦ The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio
♦ Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
♦ Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
♦ Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia
♦ The Tracy W. McGregor Library of American History at the University of Virginia
♦ Tracy W. McGregor Collection at Wayne State University
♦ Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
♦ Henry Hulbert from the services of the dedication of THE TRACY W. MCGREGOR ROOM In the ALDERMAN LIBRARY of the University of Virginia
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, and Detroit civic leader. He established the McGregor Fund of Michigan in 1925 with a gift of $5,000, one of Michigan's first charitable foundations. He successfully ran the Mission for Homeless Men (later the McGregor Institute) in Detroit from 1891 until it closed its doors in 1935, first as supervisor and then as a managing trustee. In 1917, he helped organize the Detroit Community Union and Patriotic Fund, forerunners of today's United Community Services. Tracy and his business associates began the Provident Loan and Savings Society, which provided loans at low interest rates. He also helped create the Thursday Noon Group, which met to discuss important community issues like justice in the courts and prisons. Tracy became a trustee and financial supporter of the Merrill-Palmer Institute and several universities.
Personal life
Tracy William McGregor was the oldest son of Thomas McGregor (1840-1891) and Elizabeth Taitt (1847-?). His parents had migrated from Oxbow, New YorkOxbow, New York
Oxbow is a hamlet in the town of Antwerp of Jefferson County, New York, United States. It lies at an altitude of 354 feet . Located at Oxbow is the Dr. Abner Benton House , listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.-References:...
, to Berlin Heights, Ohio
Berlin Heights, Ohio
Berlin Heights is a village in Erie County, Ohio, United States. The population was 685 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, in 1866. Thomas was in the music business, selling pianos, but felt something was missing from his life. In 1887, he abruptly quit the piano business to "serve the Lord." Though his family was shocked as they had no other source of income, Thomas assured them that the Lord would take care of them. In November 1888, he founded the Bethany Mission in downtown Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. The mission was a success. By 1889, the mission was moved to a new building and opened as the Toledo Helping Hand Mission.
Thomas was so pleased with the success of the Mission that he decided to open a series of missions in other Great Lakes areas. The Mission for Homeless Men opened in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, on April 3, 1891. Thomas had contracted a severe respiratory illness from the hard labor under harsh weather conditions during the renovation of the Mission's building, and he missed the opening day ceremonies. He never recovered from that illness and died April 24, 1891.
Tracy McGregor had been a student at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin, Ohio
Oberlin is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, to the south and west of Cleveland. Oberlin is perhaps best known for being the home of Oberlin College, a liberal arts college and music conservatory with approximately 3,000 students...
, for about two years when he got word of his father's death. He immediately quit school, packed his bags, and headed for Detroit to continue his father's work. Tracy never finished his education. At 22, Tracy abruptly found himself as head of his family; in addition to his mother, his brother Murray (1879) and sister Ruth (1881) were still at home. Elizabeth stayed in Toledo running the Helping Hand Mission, while Tracy concentrated his efforts in Detroit.
Tracy married Katherine Whitney (January 18, 1873-June 9, 1954), daughter of David Whitney and Flora Ann McLauchlin, on November 20, 1901, in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. The couple had no children. David Whitney was one of the wealthiest men in Michigan and contributed frequently to the Mission for Homeless Men. Tracy and Katherine may have met during one of Tracy's visits to the Whitney mansion on Woodward Avenue in Detroit or when Katherine volunteered at the Children's Free Hospital.
Tracy McGregor died suddenly from a heart attack on May 6, 1936, in Washington, DC. His widow, Katherine, died June 9, 1954, in Beacon, New York. The couple is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery (Detroit, Michigan)
Woodlawn Cemetery is a cemetery located at 19975 Woodward Avenue, across from the Michigan State Fairgrounds, between 7 Mile Road and 8 Mile Road, in Detroit, Michigan. It is one of the area's most well-known cemeteries.-History:...
in Detroit.
Mission for Homeless Men
Tracy had worked on and off with his father at the Mission for Homeless Men, so he understood the vision. Even though the Mission was open when he took over, it still required a great deal of renovation and funding. For the next ten years, Tracy worked tirelessly to raise money, improve the building, purchase and build a new building, and improve the reputation of the Mission. One of the hallmarks of the Mission was the religious service conducted each night by Tracy McGregor. In February 1901, the Mission's governing board hired Tracy's brother Murray to tend to financial matters, allowing Tracy to step back a bit to concentrate on other pursuits. After his marriage to Katherine, the Mission was on more solid ground with the availability of the Whitney money and a new endowment.In 1911, the board of trustees changed the name of the Mission to the McGregor Institute. In 1916, Tracy stepped down as superintendent of the Mission after Murray agreed to take his place at the helm. He remained as a managing trustee of the Institute. Throughout the years, the mission provided housing and food for more than 500,000 men. During the 1930s, the U.S. government began programs for the poor; as a consequence, the Institute closed its doors in 1935 and the building was donated to Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries International is a not-for-profit organization that provides job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have a disability, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges...
.
Philanthropy
Tracy and Katherine McGregor were very generous with their wealth. The couple shared a common concern for those less fortunate than themselves. They were major sponsors of the Associated Charities of Detroit, and, in 1909, they were "donors of major gifts to the Detroit YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, Detroit Rescue Mission, Michigan Audubon Society, Grace Reform Mission, Michigan Child Labor Association, Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Society of St. Vincent dePaul, Crittenden House, Thompson Home for Homeless Ladies, Visiting Nurses Association, Protestant Orphan Asylum, and the Women's Board of Home Missions." Much of the McGregors' interest in these organizations was fueled by the plight of the large immigrant population that arrived in Detroit in the early twentieth century. The city was ill equipped for the influx in terms of housing, city services, and health care.
The McGregors established the benevolent McGregor Fund in 1925 to "relieve the misfortunes and promote the well being of mankind." Tracy was elected president and treasurer of the fund. The McGregors gave major gifts to the fund between 1929 and 1934, totaling about $6 million. Generous grants were (and still are) given to charitable organizations that fit within the interests of the McGregors, including homeless support agencies, education, and mental hygiene programs.
Civic Leader
Tracy McGregor gave more than money to his community--he gave a lot of himself, as well. In addition to running the Mission for Homeless Men for 25 years, he served on boards of trustees and chaired other organizations.In 1900, Michigan Governor Aaron T. Bliss
Aaron T. Bliss
Aaron Thomas Bliss was a U.S. Representative from and the 25th Governor of the US state of Michigan, and was from Saginaw-Early life in New York:...
appointed Tracy to the State Board of Corrections and Charities as the Wayne County agent. This experience introduced him to the problem many Detroiters faced when trying to buy a home or automobile--loans with reasonable interest rates were unavailable. In 1906, Tracy formed the Provident Loan and Savings Society, along with friends J. L. Hudson, James Ingles, and Dexter M. Ferry, Jr. Hudson was the first president and Tracy served as one of the directors for the rest of his life. The Provident Loan and Savings Society was able to provide loans at a 3 to 5 percent interest rate, which caused other lenders to lower their rates.
In 1911, the Detroit Board of Commerce appointed Tracy to a state committee to investigate the Michigan State Prison
Michigan State Prison
Michigan State Prison or Jackson State Prison, which opened in 1839, was the first prison in Michigan. The first permanent structure was constructed there in 1842. In 1926, the prison was relocated to new building, and soon became the largest walled prison in the world with nearly 6,000 inmates....
in Jackson
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
. The investigation highlighted the inhumane "Cell Block," which led to the prison's reform.
In 1912, he invited a number of business and professional leaders to get together to discuss problems in Detroit. This group became the "Thursday Noon Group," which devoted special attention to the "social needs of the rising population, especially in the areas of city planning, sanitary housing, playgrounds for children, industrial education, child labor, and workmen's compensation laws." Tracy chaired the meetings when he was in town. In 1914, the Thursday Noon Group was responsible for encouraging Michigan legislators to create the Michigan Farm Colony for Epileptics at Caro, Michigan
Caro, Michigan
Caro is a city in and the county seat of Tuscola County, Michigan, United States. The population was 4,229 at the 2010 census and 4,145 at the 2000 census ....
(now the Caro Center, a state-operated psychiatric hospital).
In 1913, Tracy was chosen to reorganize the Associated Charities of Detroit; in December 1917, the Detroit Community Union was formed and he was elected as chair of the new organization. He was also part of a financial federation that formed the Detroit Patriotic Fund to coordinate the fundraising campaigns for the war effort during World War I.
In 1913, after her husband Thomas W. Palmer
Thomas W. Palmer
Thomas Witherell Palmer was a U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. He is considered to be one of the most significant figures in the history of Detroit, Michigan....
's death, Lizzie Pitts Merrill Palmer set aside $3 million to establish the Merrill-Palmer Motherhood and Home Training School. She never lived to see the school founded, as she died in 1916. Tracy McGregor was named to the board of trustees for the Palmer Estate in 1918, and was elected president in 1919. He served as president of the renamed Merrill-Palmer Institute until his death in 1936.
Tracy led a campaign to provide better training and care for "higher-grade feeble-minded children." His efforts were rewarded when voters approved a bond to create the Wayne County Training School in Northville, Michigan
Northville, Michigan
Northville is a city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb in Metro Detroit. The population was 5,970 at the 2010 census. The Oakland County portion is surrounded by the city of Novi. The Wayne County portion is surrounded by Northville...
. The school opened in 1925 and Tracy was appointed its first president. He served on the administrative board of control for 11 years. The school was closed in 1974.
The McGregor Plan
Tracy McGregor was an avid book collector and a great supporter of higher education. When Tracy died in 1936, his personal collection of about 12,500 volumes was donated to the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, after an exhaustive search for the appropriate repository. The McGregor Fund also donated $25,000 to the university to create the Tracy W. McGregor Library of American History to house his collection.
In 1932, Tracy developed the "McGregor Plan for the Encouragement of Book Collecting by American College Libraries," which was designed to help smaller colleges and universities outside of New England or away from major universities purchase rare Americana books for their libraries. The Committee on Americana for College Libraries was created by the American Historical Association
American Historical Association
The American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
(AHA) in 1933 to administer the McGregor Plan. In 1934, Tracy was appointed to the committee and was also elected to the board of trustees of the AHA.
The McGregor Fund financed the McGregor Plan. Until his death in 1936, Tracy bought all of the books that were made available to the libraries as part of the Plan. Participating colleges contributed $500 annually and the McGregor Fund matched with an additional $500, so each institution was able to receive $1,000 worth of rare books each year. Considering that the McGregor Plan was in effect from 1934 to 1943, most of which coincided with the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years, many rare and valuable Americana books were able to be purchased at affordable prices. The McGregor Plan was suspended in 1943 because of World War II and was never reinstated.
Institutions that benefitted from the McGregor Plan include:
♦ Albion College, Albion, Michigan
Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 9,144 at the 2000 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area...
♦ Baylor University, Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
♦ Carlton College, Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
♦ The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio
Wooster, Ohio
Wooster is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio approximately SSW of Cleveland and SW of Akron. Wooster is noted as the location of The College of Wooster...
♦ Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
♦ Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
♦ Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
External links
♦ The History of the McMath-Hulbert Observatory, Lake Angelus, MichiganLake Angelus, Michigan
Lake Angelus is a city in North Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 290, making it Michigan's smallest incorporated city.-Geography:...
♦ The Tracy W. McGregor Library of American History at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
♦ Tracy W. McGregor Collection at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
♦ Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute
♦ Henry Hulbert from the services of the dedication of THE TRACY W. MCGREGOR ROOM In the ALDERMAN LIBRARY of the University of Virginia