William James McCaughan

Bill was the son of John McCaughan, whose American pronunciation is “muh-KAWN.” He was an Irish immigrant and merchant in the Point Breeze section of South Philadelphia. Having grown up in the retail business, it was natural that Bill spent most of his adult life working for another merchant named John Wanamaker, the well-known founder of Philly’s famous department store.

Isabella McCauley McCaughan was also Irish, and they had two girls before Bill was born. They were active members at Eighth United Presbyterian Church down the street from their home on South 15th Street. Anna was born in 1870 but died in 1893. Margaret lived from 1872 until early 1896. Then Bill and his mother suffered through a third death in as many years when pneumonia stopped John’s heart later that year.

With two years of high school behind him, Bill had already entered the working world as a clerk. By the dawn of the new century he became secretary to the president of New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. (The company intended to locate in New York but the real estate deal fell through so they were stuck with the name.)

His father had done well in business, leaving an estate of $10,000 or close to $400,000 in 21st century dollars. The 1900 census showed Bill was living with his mother, but another woman came into the picture. He exchanged wedding vows with Elizabeth Meredith in 1901, but the following year his mother died.

That was the year John Wanamaker brought him on as his personal secretary. Similar to what today is called an administrative assistant, his duties may have included keeping the president’s schedules and appointments, taking minutes, and managing his correspondence and company records. In addition, he was no doubt a close aide and advisor to the president in a manner that often required great skill and discretion.

During the early years of their marriage, Elizabeth gave birth to two girls. By the time of the 1910 census, a live-in servant was added to the household. In 1916 the boss decided to spend a few months in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica on a private yacht. Along with Bill, he sailed with his valet, Harry Lisman, and his personal physician, Dr. Charles Warden. The photo above is taken from Bill’s passport application.

About that same time the McCaughans moved from 5246 Spruce to a nicer home at 6217 Carpenter Street. They may have also moved their membership to Bethany Presbyterian Church, which was one of several churches founded by John Wanamaker. He was both a spiritual and moral reformer in certain ways. While not directly endorsing the suffrage movement, he did use this part of a full-page newspaper ad to affirm the place of women in the modern world. Bill’s name was included in this instance to serve as a sort of human resources manager.

It was at the end of 1922 that the retail tycoon suffered a heart attack and died, passing the baton to his son, Rodman, who only lived until 1928. Bill’s position as private secretary was no longer needed but he became downstairs manager at the store. That floor space was launched in 1916 as the first “bargain basement” where lower-priced items were sold.

Before that happened, Bill was also elected secretary of the Board of Trustees of First Penny Savings Bank. Mr. Wanamaker founded that institution in 1888 at the church to encourage the habit of thrift among both adults and children.

By 1929 deposits at the bank exceeded $23 million from 77,000 depositors, and continued to grow in the first two years of the Depression. But in the interest of safety, security, and stability, the bank agreed to be purchased by Western Saving Fund Society in 1932. That bank merged with Philadelphia Savings Fund Society 50 years later.

Bill’s girls, both of whom were graduates of the University of Pennsylvania, both announced their engagements in 1932. Three years later, with an empty nest, Bill and Elizabeth retired to Stone Harbor in Cape May County, New Jersey. They had been summer residents there every year since 1911. He was active in the Kiwanis; she was president of the local women’s club.

Elizabeth died in 1945 while Bill lived another 21 years at his seaside home. While John Wanamaker’s heart failure was sudden, Bill’s heart stopped after a 12-year struggle with heart disease. He and Elizabeth had their names inscribed on the same stone marking the burial of Bill’s sister, Anna, and the other members of the McCaughan family.