2010 Honorary Degree
J. Timothy McGinley
Doctor of Engineering
J. Timothy McGinley has distinguished himself as an astute business leader, benevolent benefactor, and fervent Boilermaker.
McGinley completed his undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at Purdue in 1963 and his master's degree at Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in 1965. He became a White House Fellow, appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and later was special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Labor. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor from 1968-69.
McGinley was named executive vice president for finance of National Homes in 1969 and co-founded Jonathan Group, a residential development and construction firm in 1973. He founded House Investments and House Investments Securities Inc. in 1978. House Investments now includes more than 3,000 individual and corporate investors in residential and commercial real estate with properties valued in excess of $750 million.
As a student-athlete, alumnus, and former chair of the University’s Board of Trustees, McGinley has truly experienced Purdue.
While a student at Purdue, McGinley played varsity basketball for the Boilermakers and was recognized with All-Big Ten honors and the Ward Lambert Award for earning the highest student-athlete GPA. He received the Big Ten Centennial Athletic award in 1995 and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000. His own experience as a Purdue student and scholarship recipient has led him to provide more than $2 million in scholarship funds to Purdue students who face financial or personal hardships.
McGinley’s tenure as a Board of Trustees member, appointed by four governors of Indiana, spans three Purdue presidencies and 20 years, 16 of them as chair of the board. During his tenure as a dedicated and passionate chair, 70 major facility construction and renovation projects were completed, and the $450 million Discovery Park complex was created. Faculty increased from 2,208 to 2,508, and the number of named and distinguished faculty increased from 66 in 2000 to 170. In tandem with his board responsibilities, McGinley served on the steering committee of three major Purdue capital campaigns, including the largest - the $1.7 billion Campaign for Purdue - completed in July 2007.
McGinley is a three-time recipient of the governor's highest distinction - the Sagamore of the Wabash - for his contributions to the state of Indiana and was named to the Indiana Academy in 2006. Accolades previously bestowed on him by Purdue include the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award, Outstanding Chemical Engineering Alumni Award and the Purdue Distinguished Pinnacle Award.
McGinley resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Jane, who graduated from Purdue in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and is a former teacher in the Indianapolis area. The McGinleys have three children - Douglas, Elizabeth, and Catherine.
