Biography

09/22/1934 -

Jack Edwin McGregor (R44) Allegheny (Part) County 1963-1970

Early Life: 

Jack Edwin McGregor born September 22, 1934, Kittanning, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania; son of Russell A. and Leah Hampton McGregor; Yale University (B.S.), 1956; University of Pittsburgh (LL.B.) class valedictorian, editor-in-chief of the University of Pittsburgh Law Review, 1962; Quinnipiac University, (honorary Doctor of Laws degree), 1995, admitted to bar, 1963, attorney; captain, United States Marine Corps; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1963-1970; sports executive, founder, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1965-1970; sports executive, founder, Atlantic League Baseball team Bridgeport Bluefish; president, chief executive officer, Connecticut-based water utility Aquarion Company; married, Carol Dangerfield, 1955, (d), four children, married, Mary-Jane Foster (d).   

Early Career:

Attorney, Pittsburgh and Washington offices, Reed Smith, LLP (formerly Reed, Smith, Shaw and McClay) Counsel, Cohen and Wolf, P.C., Bridgeport, Connecticut.  

Founder, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1965-1970

President, chief executive officer, Connecticut-based water utility Aquarion Company.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association; member, boards, Point Park College; Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf; Pittsburgh Playhouse; Mendelssohn Choir and Pennsylvania Council of the Arts.     

Awards: 

Recipient Pittsburgh’s “Men of the Year in Business, 1966.

Authored:

McGregor, Jack E.; Conversations with Jack McGregor An Anecdotal Journey Pennsylvania, Politics, Penguins, Petroleum, Pitchers, The FBI and a Few Wise Guys, Too with Lennie Grimaldi, 2008

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 44th district, Allegheny (Part) County 1963-1970, committee assignments, Banking, Constitutional Changes and Federal Regulations Committee (Chairman), Corporations (Vice Chairman), Education, Mines and Mineral Industries.

Legacy: 

The senator along with law school classmate, Peter Block formed a group of local investors for the Pittsburgh franchise that included H. J. Heinz Company, Chief Executive Officer, H. J. Heinz II, Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, and Mellon family heir Richard Mellon Scaife. On February 8, 1966, the National Hockey League granted a franchise to Pittsburgh. Named president and chief executive officer by the investor group and he represented Pittsburgh on the NHL’s Board of Governors. McGregor and Block each owned 12.5 percent of the team.

The franchised, officially named on February 10, 1967, after more than 26,000 entries from a newspaper contest were fielded. McGregor's wife, Carol, named them the "Penguins" since the team would play in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, which had been dubbed "The Igloo" by the locals. Andy Bathgate was the team's first pick in the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. 

On October 11, 1967, Clarence Campbell and McGregor jointly dropped the ceremonial first puck of the Penguins opening home game against the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1 loss. First goal scored by Andy Bathgate (1) assisted by Noel Price, Ab McDonald at 07:06 of the 3rd period. The Penguins would finish 27-34-13.

Cofounder along with his wife, Mary-Jane Foster, Bridgeport Bluefish, a minor league baseball franchise Atlantic League.

The Jack McGregor Scholarship is an endowment at Senator's alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, with the purpose of providing scholarship support to financially needy student who have demonstrated strong academic performance in prior studies and who have made a commitment to utilize their law degree working in the public sector. 

Brother, Judge James R. McGregor, Allegheny County. 

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members M". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

The Pennsylvania Manual, Brittingham, Jr; G. R., (Editor). (1969). (Volume 99). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, page 130 and 143-144.