Family Notes for an Autobiography
Born — April 13, 1939 – Memorial Hospital, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Dr. Farrell?
Probably conceived in September in West Indies when mother on vacation
visiting father in West Indies
No reason to think I was not a surprise appearance
Resided 109 Benedict Street from birth through 7th grade; St. Theresa Parish, Newport
Avenue.
Four sets of McCaughey relatives within walking distance of Benedict St.
Mother— Helen Galleshaw, age 39 at my birth (born 1900, Central Falls, RI)
Her parents Irish to RI by way of Liverpool and Canada[?]
Had several siblings – sisters May, Sally; a brother Jim…..
Left school in 9th grade – worked as a textile worker in RI
Did not work once married; volunteered with Cancer Society as widow
Her sisters May and Sally, who had been working in California, May as a seamstress
in Hollywood, Sally as children’s book buyer for Hollywood bookstore, lived with
her after husband Jack’s death.
She died 1983 (age 83).
Father—John Francis McCaughey, age 43 at my birth (born 1896, Pawtucket)
Both his parents Irish, with his father to US from County Tyrone in 1877
Father’s mother lived on York Avenue
Father oldest of large family – Bothers Joe, Vin, Ray, Ed; Sisters Bertha
Left school in 10th grade for employment; likely briefly attended bookkeeper school
Enlisted in Army in 1917 but did not see combat or go overseas
In 1920s began career as an office manager/accountant working for US companies abroad
First overseas job in Brazil; later in Poland, Persia and West Indies before WW II
Between these jobs worked in city and state gov’t in RI
Post-WW II abroad jobs: Venezuela (1946-48);Lebanon (1948-50); Greece (1951-54)
later worked for state in Dep’t of Motor Vehicles and city of Pawtucket as Comptroller
A lifelong Democrat
Died September 1960 (age 64)
Parents married in 1925 [?} in Catholic service in Rhode Island
Had three children before me
Bill – born 1927 in Warsaw Poland – high school star athlete at St. Raphael’s;
semi-pro boxer; attended seminary for one year after high school à In US Navy
as enlisted man 1945-48;
Providence College for 2 years; Boston U for two years for law degree; practice in RI;
Then as president of Ohio Life Insurance Company in Hamilton, Ohio
Married Elaine McKinnon in 1951 – they had 14 children
Died January 1982, age 55
Sally – born 1929 in US – attended URI; worked in Germany with military;
married Ralph Bold – 3 children; divorced; taught Ist grade; lives on Cape Cod
Dick – born 1934 in US – attended St. Raphael’s; high school baseball pitcher:
briefly attended St Alselm’s, Stonehill and Providence College;
Then enlisted in US Airborne for 4 years; bachelor
Worked as professional golfer in Ohio and Florida
Died 2006 (72).
My schooling
Lincoln Avenue Public School, Pawtucket – 1945-50 Kindergarten to 5th grade
altar boy, St. Theresa Church, Pawtucket (4th to 7th grades)
Cross-walk Patrol (5th grade)
J.C. Potter Public School, Newport Avenue, Pawtucket – 6th grade
Goff Junior High School, Newport Avenue, Pawtucket – 7th Grade (1951-52)
Anglo-American School, Kifissia, Greece – 8th and 9th grades (1952-54)
Played on school basketball team; most classmates children of US military or diplomats
Lived in Philothei, a suburb of Athens,
High School
St. Raphael Academy, Walcott St., Pawtucket – 10th to 12th grade – Christian Brothers
Science Track –graduated Ist in class of 75 students
Played on football team – starting center in senior year (158 lbs.)
Caddied at Pawtucket Golf Club;
Worked at Bob Gray’s Men’s Clothing Shop – 1955-57;
Apex Tire Company as truckdriver/delivery – summer 1956
Block Island gas station – summer of 1957 before going to college
Bought first car, a 1952 2-door Ford, at beginning of senior year in high school.
Sold before going to UR.
College
University of Rochester – 1957-1961
Went on a late-developing NROTC scholarship that involved a 4-year commitment
to serve in US Navy as a regular officer
Three weeks as chemical engineer major; thereafter a history major;
Honors Program as junior and senior
Alpha Delta Phi fraternity
Worked Saturdays at Bob Ryan Clothing Store, Rochester
and some evenings at UR Book Store on campus
Summers when not on midshipman cruises, worked on Block Island.
Graduated summa cum laude but not PBK (frosh year grades)
First eligible to vote in 1960 — for John F. Kennedy (and every Democratic presidential
nominee since)
US Navy
Ensign to Lieutenant 1961-1965
Supply Corps School, Athens, Georgia — 7/61-12/61
Bought TR-3 sports car – drove to west coast and sold in 1963
USS Tracer AGR 15, homeported Treasure Island, San Francisco – 1/62-7/63
Seven 35-day assignments on picket duty in Pacific Ocean as ship’s supply officer
In San Diego at time of Cuban Missile Crisis, October 1962; sent to help blockade
Panama Canal but crisis over before on station.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Assistant Professor of Naval Science,
NROTC Unit –8/63-6/65 – as per request to Naval Personnel Office
Taught Naval history and supply management; completed MA in American Studies at UNC
Resigned upon completion of required 4 years in June 1965.
Married Ann Ballantyne, August 28, 1965, in Catholic service at St. Teresa’s Church, Pawtucket, RI
Had met at U of R in 1958 (Ann, UR ’62)
Resided 26 Linnaean St, Cambridge, 1965-69
Two children born while there:
Hannah – December 30, 1966
John – February 4, 1969
Ann – Born Syracuse, NY July 26, 1940, raised in Syracuse and Auburn, NY
UR 1958-62; year in Florence, Italy studying the harp; return to Boston, secretarial work
Father, Allan, his father a prominent Syracuse politician; he a manager for New York
Telephone Company throughout upstate NY
Had attended Syracuse University but left upon marriage in ?
Mother, Doris Chadwick, family Irish and Scottish in Syracuse – working class+
Ann had two older sisters, Jean and Barbara, both attended Hobart/William Smith College
Harvard University – 1965-1969
Attended on a NDEA Fellowship in History PhD Program/American History
Principal adviser – Donald Fleming
Worked in History Department Library
Passed qualifying oral exam May 1967
Summer NSF Quantitative History Institute at Cornell, summer 1967
Ann, Hannah and I resided in Cascadilla Hall, with other Fellows of the Institute
Dissertation, a biography, “Josiah Quincy: The Last Federalist, 1772-1864,” accepted
for the degree in September 1969