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- Category: Hall of Fame
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WILLIAM (BILL) MCCARTHY was nominated by alumnus and Board of Education President John Mooney. Bill is being inducted into the Hall of Fame because of his academic achievements, his successful career, including teaching at Rensselaer High and his determination to give-back to the city where he was raised.
Bill is an alumnus of the class of 1968. While in high school he was President of his class for 2 years, received the Rensselaer Medal for Excellence in Science and Math, was in National Honor Society, Key Club, Varsity Club, Band, Crest and Shield, College Club and lettered in cross-country, track, basketball and football. He continued his education at the University of Buffalo where he graduated in 1972 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He then attended graduate schools at RPI, Russell Sage and SUNYA part time while teaching and coaching fulltime at Rensselaer Jr-Sr High School. His career at Albany International began in 1977 and continued until 2007. During his tenure with AI, he was a Design Engineer, Design Manager and technical specialist abroad, moving to The Netherlands in 1988 to assume the position of Technical Director for Europe. He returned to the states in 1991 and became Technical Director for U.S. Press Fabrics. In 1994 he was made VP of Marketing for U.S. Press, and the following year VP and General Manager for U.S. Press Fabrics. In 1997, he moved back to Europe as Sr. VP for European Operations, and in 2001 returned to the U.S. as Group VP with a territory including Canada, Central and South America and the Pacific Rim, along with Global Belting operations and Intellectual Property. Several other changes in responsibilities and titles occurred from 2003-7 involving extensive travel in the Asia/Pacific region, ending his career with the title Executive VP of Global Engineering, Procurement and Planning. In retirement, Bill mentored an Introduction to Engineering Technology class in 2008-9 at Rensselaer HS and rejoined the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Southern Rensselaer County after a hiatus, taking on the responsibilities of Vice Chairman in 2010 and in 2012, Chairman of the Board. Bill has been a member of the Alumni Association for the past 2 years and served on the selection committee for last year’s inaugural Hall of Fame inductions.
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- Category: Hall of Fame
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LEE IRVING was nominated by his classmate James Cochran. Lee is being inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame for his leadership and scholastic achievements in high school and his continued success in the business world, as well as for his leadership in his church and community activities.
Lee is an alumnus of the Class of 1966. While in high school, he excelled in both athletics and academics. He was also popular and well liked, becoming president of the class in his senior year. He belonged to Varsity Club, Beta Phi Chi fraternity, and was Key Club president. Additionally, he was in Student Council and belonged to National Honor Society for three years. He received the DAR Good Citizen Award, Latin Award, the Prize for General Excellence in Citizenship Education, the Prize for Proficiency in Physics and was Salutatorian of his class. Lee received his higher education at SUNY Binghamton and the University of Wisconsin - Madison with degrees in banking, finance and accounting. Lee made his long career mostly within Key Corp, retiring in 2006 as their chief accounting officer. While still living locally, Lee shared his talents with his church, The Greenbush Reformed Church participating in many activities including serving on its local governing board. His service was rewarded with a plaque for his devotion. Lee’s career took his family to Ohio where he and his wife Linda settled and raised their daughter and son. He became active in his church in Ohio with fund raising and also with the NPR radio station WKSU in Kent Ohio. Lee returned to Rensselaer for the “Decade of the Sixties” reunion in 2011, where he was crowned King of the evening. In 2012, while battling cancer, he took on the responsibility of becoming the Class of 1966’s representative to the Alumni Association and gathered current contact information for as many classmates as he could find. He also gave generously to association fund raisers, in particular in deciding what the theme would be for his class’ basket for the 2012 homecoming fund raiser, and in giving to the membership drive. As a tribute to how well he was respected by his classmates, over $500 was donated in his memory to the Alumni Association when he passed away about a year ago. And in homage to his spirit of generosity, his wife Linda matched the amount.
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ANNA MEURS IRVING was nominated by her daughters Deborah Irving Reimann and Mary Irving. She is being inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame for her fifty (50 !!) years of dedication as an employee of the Rensselaer City School District and for her humanitarianism.
Anna is an alumna for the Class of 1945. She began her career as a secretary for the school district even before she graduated high school. Like most women who work outside the home, her dual career was as a wife and mother to her 3 children, all of whom were schooled in the city: William (deceased), Class of 1969, Deborah, Class of 1974 and Mary, Class of 1983. For most of her career Anna was personal secretary to the principal. She was known to faculty and staff as the “go-to” person for all things. Anna, or Mrs. Irving as the students knew her, was motherly and kind, but also “no-nonsense”. Anna served the district also in the capacity of member of the Board of Education. In addition she served her community as a member of the Rensselaer Historical Society and the Rensselaer Business and Professional Women’s Association. In both, she promoted the impact women can have in the business world and for their city. She also served her church, The Church of the Redeemer, in many capacities, as a member of the choir, the altar guild, the Redeemer guild, offices within the Vestry and as Sunday school teacher. Her volunteerism benefitted Damian House, Capital City Mission (Love Knots), families she adopted during the holidays and others when the need called. Her commitment to others reached beyond the city in her work with the Order of the Amaranth, Capital City Court 15 and the Order of the Eastern Star, Van Rensselaer Chapter #256, especially with the Diabetes Foundation and Leukemia Society. This commitment continued when she needed to be placed in a nursing home, in her latest role as advocate for her fellow residents at the Eastern Star Home in Oriskany, NY. Anna lived a good and productive life, having passed just recently in 2013