Early Life and Business Career
Born in Portland, Douglas was the son of E. D. McKay, a farmer, and the former Minnie A. Musgrove. His family's limited means required him to work while still a schoolboy. After his father's death in 1911, McKay was forced to leave school before receiving a high school diploma. He was admitted to Oregon State College as an agriculture student at age 20. McKay was elected student body president in 1916. He graduated in 1917 with a Bachelor of Science degree. That same year, McKay married Mabel C. Hill on March 31. Over the years, they had three children.
During World War I, he served with the United States Army in Europe, where he advanced to the rank of First Lieutenant. He sustained an injury in battle to his leg, right arm and shoulder, which earned him a Purple Heart. Upon discharge, the disability prevented his performing the strenuous activities of farming, as he had planned, so he began a business career in Portland selling insurance, and then automobiles, rising to the position of sales manager. After the move to the sales manager position, the company sent him to Salem, Oregon, where he was in charge of their dealership in that city.
He opened Douglas McKay Chevrolet Co. in 1927, and later started a Cadillac dealership as well. McKay later served as president of the Oregon Automobile Dealer's Association.
Read more about this topic: Douglas McKay
Famous quotes containing the words early, life, business and/or career:
“Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. I suppose it’s an early form of participation in what goes on. Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are just waiting and hoping for one to come out, like a mouse from its hole.”
—Eudora Welty (b. 1909)
““From those constellations turn
Your eyes, and sleep; for every man
Is living; and for peace upon
His life should rest;
This must everybody learn
For mutual happiness; that trust
Alone is best.””
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“I’m afraid for all those who’ll have the bread snatched from their mouths by these machines.... What business has science and capitalism got, bringing all these new inventions into the works, before society has produced a generation educated up to using them!”
—Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906)
“From a hasty glance through the various tests I figure it out that I would be classified in Group B, indicating “Low Average Ability,” reserved usually for those just learning to speak the English Language and preparing for a career of holding a spike while another man hits it.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)