b'question, researched every problem, acted as roofing consultant to many organizations, often without even receiving expense money to travel hundreds of miles inspect a problem roof.One letter received the other day stated, Almost every large contract owes a measure of his success to Jim McCawley, in one way or another, whether or not he cares to admit it. He was always available for consultation to every local, regional, or national association whenever they quested his help.Jim often provided the guideposts and the vital spark that set a fledgling association off to a good start. Jim was NERSICAs first executive secretary, serving from 1934 to 1937, while at the same time operating his own roofing business, editing their official publication, the MODERN ROOFING MAGAZINE (later incorporated with American Roofer by Hoffman Publications), and at the same time, writing his ROOFING, ESTIMATING, APPLYING, REPAIRING, which has been the official apprentice training book in may cities. In 1938, at the convention of the UNITED ROOFING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION, (now NRCA), a delegation urged Jim McCawley to accept the post of Executive Secretary of their organization.The proposal to Jim, was most uninteresting as the association was in fact, bankrupt and had only 10 dues paying members.But at their insistence, he finally accepted and using his own personal funds plus borrowed capital, started the NATIONAL ROOFER MAGAZINE to provide income for the association.Working with the members, who also gave generously of their time and efforts, they managed to increase membership to 400 within five years and to 711 in 1951. By this time the association offices had been moved to Chicago and Jim had given up his business to devote his time to the Association.Unfortunately, conflict between association work and editorial work became a problem, and the board of directors decided that the publication.NATIONAL ROOFER, should be discontinued.Jim disagreed and after 13 years of service to NRCA offered his resignation to the association and purchased they magazine from them. He published the NATIONAL ROOFER & BUILDING IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR under this title until 1959, when he acquired AMERICAN ROOFER & SIDING CONTRACTOR (formerly Modern Roofing of NERSICA) from Hoffman Publications and consolidated it into the present magazine, combining the names into AMEICAN ROOFER & BUILDING IMPROVEMENR CONTRACTOR.Thus the two roofing magazines he helped start became one publication. J:\\ASSOC\\MRCA\\Living History\\1969\\The Measure of A Life-McCawley Bio.doc'