(29 Nov. 1871-5 Sept. 1950), YMCA employee. (Will McRae, William D. McRae, Professor McRae; sp. MacRae also found) Born on a farm just outside GC, at Bonnie Hill, Caledonia Township, Prescott County, west of Skye and north of Dunvegan. Parents: Malcolm D. MacRae and his wife Janet MacAlpine. His family soon moved to a new farm at Skye, Ont., on Lot 9 in the 9th Concession of Caledonia Township, where William grew up. He attended public school at Skye and high school at Vankleek Hill. As a young man, he spent some three years in shanty in Michigan, working as a clerk. He is said to have won the Michigan State Championship in wrestling, probably (it may be guessed) about the time of his shanty period. He attended Olivet College, of Olivet, Mich., graduating with the degree of A. B. in 1901. At this time, he appears to have been a student for the ministry, but in fact he chose a career in the YMCA. He was a YMCA state secretary for county work in New Jersey 1904-1911 and a YMCA county and student work state secretary in California 1911-1921, and a YMCA state secretary 1921-1923, again probably in county work, in New Hampshire. His many professional services over the years to the YMCA also included his employment 1923-1931 at the International YMCA College, Springfield, Mass., the source, presumably, of his title of professor. Over the years, he was concerned with how to extend YMCA services to rural youth.

     He was married in 1902 to Clara Ethel Bates of Moline, Michigan (d. 1937). After her death he spent much of his time in Glendale, Calif., but he returned three years before his death to Springfield, where he died. (three children) Congregationalist. He was the brother of Norman Forbes MacRae. William’s nephew Ivan F. MacRae describes him as “a strongly extroverted man.” Attentive in maintaining his connections with friends and relatives, William remained despite his years in the United States a frequent visitor to GC. His son William D. McRae, Jr. (1912-30 Sept. 1992), a professor of music who was also a composer, taught for many years at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Springfield Union News 6 Sept. 1950, Glengarry News 6 Oct. 1950 * death of his wife, Dunvegan column, GN 7 Jan. 1938 * notes as per entry for Norman Forbes MacRae * information kindly supplied from Olivet College, Kautz Family YMCA Archives at the Univ. of Minnesota (includes a two-page autob. sketch), the Springfield Museums (Mass.), and (tributes on death of William D. McRae, Jr.) Bucknell University.