Robert McDermott Obituary

Brigadier General Robert Francis McDermott ("McD") died August 28, 2006 of complications from a stroke. He was born on July 31, 1920 in Boston, MA., to Alphonsus and Anna McDermott. After attending elementary school in his hometown of Readville, he graduated from Boston Latin School in 1937, where he won the music prize playing trombone. He attended Norwich University from 1937 to 1939. McD received an appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1939, and graduated and was commissioned on January 19, 1943. He earned a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1950. On January 20, 1943, McD married Alice Patricia McDermott at Trinity Chapel at West Point. Following their wedding, McD and Alice traveled to California where McD learned to fly the P-38 Lockheed Lightning. He was assigned to the 474th Fighter Bomber Group as its Deputy Group Operations Officer and flew 61 combat missions during World War II in the European Theatre. After the war, he remained in Europe on General Eisenhower's staff. Following this assignment, McD served in the Pentagon and thereafter, attended Harvard Business School, earning an MBA in 1950. He then taught economics at West Point for four years. In 1954 McD was assigned to the newly established Air Force Academy as Vice Dean and Professor of Economics. In 1956, he was appointed Dean of Faculty and, in 1959, President Eisenhower appointed McD the first Permanent Dean of Faculty and promoted him to Brigadier General. At that time, he was the youngest flag-rank officer in all of the armed services. After guiding the first ten graduating classes at the Air Force Academy, McD retired from the Air Force in 1968. In recognition of McD's contributions to the Air Force, the Academy named the cadet library for him and named him the "Father of Modern Military Education." In 1968 McD joined USAA (United Services Automobile Association) as Executive Vice President, and became its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in January 1969. His management of USAA's employees and treatment of its members was based on his belief in the Golden Rule - to treat everyone with dignity and respect, and to allow everyone the opportunity to achieve his or her potential. He ensured that all employees were well-trained, well-paid, and had very good job benefits, and introduced a four-day work week to give employees more time with their families. He encouraged self-development by matching employee tuition expenses. By implementing this philosophy, USAA's employees provided the best possible service to USAA's members and enabled USAA to be named one of the best companies to work for in the United States in 1993 with no company rated higher than USAA. Under McD's leadership, USAA's membership grew four hundred percent, and assets owned and managed grew from $207 million to more $30 billion. USAA also partnered with Opryland USA to develop Fiesta Texas during McD's chairmanship. For all of the awards McD achieved at USAA, he always attributed USAA's success to its wonderful employees. In 1993 McD retired as Chairman and CEO of USAA, and remained as Chairman Emeritus. Following his retirement, McD continued to be active in the community with business and charitable organizations. On August 6, 1994, McD married Marion Slemon of Colorado Springs. They enjoyed his retirement in San Antonio and Colorado Springs, as well as traveling to visit family and friends. McD worked tirelessly to advance economic development in San Antonio. His efforts included the following: in 1974 he was elected Chairman of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce; in 1975 he co-founded the Economic Development Foundation and served as its Chairman until 1980; he was a co-founder of United San Antonio to promote social cohesiveness during the 1970s and 1980s; in 1984 he co-founded the Texas Research and Technology Foundation which began development of the Texas Research Park; in the 1980s, McD established a volunteer corps and mentor program at USAA to encourage USAA employees to become actively involved in social and charitable projects throughout San Antonio and to serve as role models for underprivileged youth in San Antonio; when the San Antonio Spurs were to be sold in the early 1990s, McD led a group of local investors to buy the team, and served as chairman, to assure it would stay in San Antonio. For his wide-ranging efforts on behalf of San Antonio, the City of San Antonio named a section of Interstate Highway 10 West as the "McDermott Freeway." McD also received recognition for his business and educational activities, including the following: he was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 1987 and the American National Business Hall of Fame in 1989; in 1993 West Point selected him to receive its Distinguished Graduate Award; in 1994 Fortune selected him as Laureate in Junior Achievement's National Business Hall of Fame; in 1998 Harvard Business School extended its highest honor, the Alumni Achievement Award, as a tribute to his extraordinary accomplishments at the Air Force Academy and USAA; and in 2006 the University of the Incarnate Word established the Robert F. McDermott Professorship in Organizational Leadership. For all of these accomplishments and honors, McD always said that his greatest blessings were his faith, his family, his country and his dear friends. McD was preceded in death by his parents, his brother David, and his beloved wife of 47 years, Alice Patricia McDermott. He is survived by his wife, Marion Slemon McDermott, his five children, daughter Patricia and her husband, Pierre Beynet; son Robert and his wife, Judy; son David and his wife, Molly; daughter Betsy and her husband, Jay Gwin; and son Mark and his wife, Debbie. He is also survived by fourteen grandchildren, Michele Beynet Roering, Danielle Beynet Kling, David Beynet, Robert F. McDermott, III, Peter McDermott, Elizabeth McDermott Wellschlager, Jacqueline McDermott Smith, David McDermott Jr., John P. McDermott, Mark Gwin, Katherine Gwin Madden, Jennifer Gwin, Alice Gwin, William P. McDermott, and 12 great-grandchildren, John Wellschlager, Owen Wellschlager, Oscar Roering, Estelle Roering, Janet McDermott, Peter McDermott, Juliet McDermott, Nathaniel McDermott, Clare McDermott, Carter Kling, Thygeson Smith and Oliver Gwin. McD is also survived by his sisters Ruth Ahern, Marguerite Marshall and Claire Carey. The family would like to extend their most sincere thanks to McD's long-time physicians, David H. Kramer, MD and Cliff Buckley, MD for the extraordinary care they have provided for more than 30 years. The family also thanks the wonderful doctors, nurses and medical staff at Brooke Army Medical Center for their care of McD. ROSARY: Thursday 7:00 pm, Chapel of the Incarnate Word, University of the Incarnate Word, 4301 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209. FUNERAL MASS: Friday 10:00 am, St. Peter Prince of the Apostles Catholic Church, 111 Barilla, San Antonio, TX. 78209 INTERMENT: Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with Full Military Honors. Pallbearers are his grandsons: David Beynet, Robert F. McDermott III, Peter McDermott, David McDermott, Jr., John P. McDermott, Mark Gwin, William McDermott. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Robert F. McDermott Professorial Chair in Organizational Leadership at the University of the Incarnate Word, the General Robert F. McDermott Chair of Academic Excellence at the United States Air Force Academy, the Robert F. McDermott Chair in Humanities and Public Affairs at the United States Military Academy, or a charity of your choice. You are invited to sign the guestbook at: www.porterloring.com. Arrangements with PORTER LORING MORTUARIES, 1101 MCCULLOUGH AVE. TELE: (800) 460-2704.