Goals, determination took him to the top

After retiring from a successful career, he began serving on school boards.
By JoANN JONES
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
When Harold McRae attended East High School in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he used to help his mother clean the office building of the Federal Iron Works on Prospect Street across from their home. It was then that he decided he would work in an office some day.
McRae, who labels himself a "risk-taker always looking for an opportunity," entered the world of business as a sales representative for the Shell Chemical Co. of New York in 1966. Thirty-one years later he retired as a global customer director from Glaxo Wellcome of London, at that time the world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Retirement for McRae, however, didn't mean withdrawing to a secluded, quiet life. On the contrary, McRae now serves as a counselor/adviser at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago to enhance college admissions; is a member of the Case Western Reserve University Board of Trustees; and is a member of a coalition of leadership donors who established the first endowed chair named in honor of a black person at the Harvard Business School, where he received his master's degree in 1971.
"A lot of my volunteer efforts come from my upbringing," McRae said. "My family was heavily involved in church activities, and my father was superintendent of Sunday School. He also had a great work ethic."
Even though McRae now lives in Chicago, he has maintained his ties to his childhood church, St. Andrewes A.M.E. Church on West Earle Avenue in Youngstown, where he returned last June for the dedication of a building project to which he made a $50,000 donation.
"He knew we were going to do something, and he wanted to be a part of it because the church is important to him," said the Rev. Jon Goshay of St. Andrewes. "He's one of the most outstanding people I've ever met."
Learning responsibility
McRae, the youngest of 16 children (four died shortly after birth) credits his parents, the late Raymond and Susie Jackson McRae, with teaching him and his siblings responsibility at a young age.
"All of us had jobs growing up," said McRae, who was a carrier for The Vindicator from the ages of 10 to 14. "We didn't have a lot of money, but we had lots of love and moral and ethical guidance."
Because of his desire to be the first one in the family to go to college, McRae carried this responsibility over to the classroom where he maintained a 4.0 grade point average at East High. The fruits of his efforts got him a local DeFord Memorial Scholarship, which paid full tuition as well as room and board for two years at Case Western Reserve University, where he majored in chemistry. For the last two years, McRae said, he received financial aid, took out loans, and worked in the science library. He chose that prestigious university because an executive in the office where he helped his mother clean knew he had done well in high school and suggested he apply there.
Though his first semester was "very daunting initially," he said he buckled down and studied harder.
"In high school, there was a mix of students, all working class, whose fathers worked in the steel mills," he said. "Many of my college classmates had been educated in private schools and taken courses like calculus. In addition, I was the only African-American in some of my classes."
Although he was the first in his family to go to college, he said he believes he's been an inspiration for several nieces and nephews who have gone to college and been successful. One nephew, Charles Brown, is the chief financial officer at Toyota Manufacturing; another nephew, Joseph McRae, is head of the Youngstown Parks & amp; Recreation Department; and a great niece, Kenya McRae, is a lawyer for the National Institute of Health.
"They've looked to me for guidance in their professional lives," he said. "I spent a lot of time with them and helped to keep them on the right track."
Moving on and up
Receiving his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the university's Adelbert College in 1965, he worked as a sales representative for Shell and then became a manager for the Clorox Co. of Oakland, Calif., in 1972. Later he worked as vice president for American Express in New York and Travelers Insurance in Connecticut.
"I did everything possible to move up," McRae added, saying he really had no mentors or family members that had been involved in corporate life. "I had to learn by trial and error how to navigate through the corporate maze."
He did, however, receive sage advice from his bosses in his early years in business, as several urged him to get his master's in business administration. Fortunately for McRae, he was accepted to one of the best business schools in the world. Going to Harvard University led to the bulk of his business career being spent in Boston, New York and Connecticut, he said.
Throughout his business career, McRae said he would look for opportunities where he could make a difference or take an opportunity no one else would want. He also attributes his success to working hard and accepting advice from people who would offer it.
Youngstown influence
McRae recalls that Youngstown was a wonderful place to grow up and experience life because the "ethnic diversity was tremendous, and it was just about the right size." He said Youngstown also provided his appreciation for music and art as he can remember getting all dressed up and going to the Butler Art Institute and Stambaugh Auditorium.
"Going to the Lyric Opera in Chicago, the Cleveland Orchestra in Severance Hall ... all this goes back to my initial exposure to the world of culture in Youngstown," he said. "I had very enriching experiences early on that kind of set the stage."
Until his mother passed away in 1994, he came back to Youngstown five or six times a year but now visits less often. Generally he comes back to see his seven remaining brothers and sisters, all of whom never left Youngstown. In addition, he returned for his 40th high school reunion in 2001 where he saw some of his longtime friends.
Giving back
Once he retired from the business world, McRae said he was looking for volunteer activities and wanted to give back to his community and his alma mater.
"I had a financial situation where I wanted to make a donation," he said.
Thus, with a $100,000 gift, he established the Frank "Doc" Kelker Scholarship Fund, which was designed to increase the underrepresented minority student population at Case Western Reserve. Kelker, a 1938 Case graduate who passed away in May, headed the Cleveland YMCA and was also the former chairman and a founding board member of Cuyahoga Community College. McRae has continued his involvement with CWRU over the years, serving as an alumni representative in Chicago-area schools, as the past co-chair of College of Arts and Sciences Visiting Committee, and now as a member of the board of trustees.
"I'm a recruiter for admissions for the university," McRae said. "I talk to high school counselors and interview students for the freshman class. And I thoroughly enjoy being elected to a four-year term on the board of trustees, which has given me a whole new perspective on Case and universities in general.
"What I'd say to all high school seniors in Youngstown is this: Incredible opportunities are ahead of you. Go to school somewhere where you feel comfortable. Don't let the price keep you from applying to a particular school. And don't let those things that appear to be obstacles actually be obstacles. Your choices and your opportunities are much greater than those of your parents."