William A. MacDonough
Files
Dublin Core
Title
William A. MacDonough
Subject
Massanutten Military Academy (Woodstock, Shenandoah County, Va.)
Military academies - Virginia - Woodstock
Military education - Virginia - Woodstock
Cadets - Virginia - Woodstock
Football players - Virginia - Woodstock
Football - Virginia - Woodstock
Sports - Virginia - Woodstock
Athletes - Virginia - Woodstock
MacDonough, William A. (1904-1987)
Description
Massanutten Military Academy (MMA) cadet William A. MacDonough, shown in his school’s football uniform.
William was from New York city and graduated from MMA in 1925. Prior to attending the school he was an actor on vaudeville.
He was a member of the Poe debating society and his team not only won the 1925 annual debate, but William was awarded the gold medal for best overall debater that year. The resolution was: Resolved that the Government of the United States should officially recognize the Soviet Government of Russia. The Poe team successfully argued the positive side.
William went on to attend Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia where he had earned a football scholarship.
He married a popular Woodstock woman, Elizabeth “Betty” Newman (1909-1978), in New York City, on Christmas day, 1931. She was the granddaughter of Judge E.D. Newman and the daughter of Wilbur Lauck and Ruth (Koontz) Newman. When they married, Betty was a teacher of mathematics at Woodstock High School.
Initially, the couple lived on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. However, they moved many times – Detroit, Minneapolis, Duluth, Cinncinnati -- as William’s corporate career required. Over the years, he held management positions in General Mills, Coolerator Company, Bendix, and Avco Manufacturing. Later in his career he worked in advertising on Madison Avenue as Vice Chairman of Tatham-Laird Kudner.
During their decades together, William and his wife raised two children, a daughter, Sarah Linda, and a younger son, John Newman MacDonough.
Both William and his wife are buried in Woodstock.
William was from New York city and graduated from MMA in 1925. Prior to attending the school he was an actor on vaudeville.
He was a member of the Poe debating society and his team not only won the 1925 annual debate, but William was awarded the gold medal for best overall debater that year. The resolution was: Resolved that the Government of the United States should officially recognize the Soviet Government of Russia. The Poe team successfully argued the positive side.
William went on to attend Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia where he had earned a football scholarship.
He married a popular Woodstock woman, Elizabeth “Betty” Newman (1909-1978), in New York City, on Christmas day, 1931. She was the granddaughter of Judge E.D. Newman and the daughter of Wilbur Lauck and Ruth (Koontz) Newman. When they married, Betty was a teacher of mathematics at Woodstock High School.
Initially, the couple lived on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. However, they moved many times – Detroit, Minneapolis, Duluth, Cinncinnati -- as William’s corporate career required. Over the years, he held management positions in General Mills, Coolerator Company, Bendix, and Avco Manufacturing. Later in his career he worked in advertising on Madison Avenue as Vice Chairman of Tatham-Laird Kudner.
During their decades together, William and his wife raised two children, a daughter, Sarah Linda, and a younger son, John Newman MacDonough.
Both William and his wife are buried in Woodstock.
Creator
Morrison Studio
Source
Morrison Studio Collection - Shenandoah County Historical Society
Publisher
Shenandoah County Library
Date
ca. 1924
Contributor
Identified utilizing the 1924 Massanutten Academy yearbook "Helmet."
Biographical information compiled from public records.
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED
Relation
William A. MacDonough appears in Morrison Studio Collection images 006608, 008152, 008591, 013562, and 20091..
Identifier
006608
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Glass Negative
Collection
Citation
Morrison Studio, “William A. MacDonough,” Shenandoah County Library Archives, accessed December 26, 2024, https://archives.countylib.org/items/show/40103.
Comments
John Newman MacDonough
Your discription is very accurate.
Here are some additions:
William went by the nickname Mac and Bill. Before being a student at MMA, he was a young actor in vaudeville. The photograph shows him in his football uniform and I believe he earned a football scholarship to Washington and Lee.
Later in his career he was in advertising on Madison Ave. NYC as Vice Chairman of Tatham-Laird Kudner.
Betty graduated from William and Mary and earned a subsequent degree in Library Science from Columbia University. Her career included being a librarian at Rye High School, Rye. NY.
Both Mac and Betty were loving parents of my sister and me.
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