C. Peter McColough

C. PETER MCCOLOUGH - In loving memory of C. Peter McColough, former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Xerox Corporation, who died on Wednesday, December 13, 2006, after a long illness. He retired in the late 1980s, after serving over 25 years as CEO of Xerox. He also served as chairman of United Way of America, and served on the Board of Trustees at New York Stock Exchange, Citibank, Union Carbide Corporation and Knight Ridder. Actively involved with the Council on Foreign Relations, he also funded the C. Peter McColough Roundtable Series on International Economics. Active in the Democratic Party, McColough served as treasurer of the Democratic National Committee from 1974 through 1976.

C. Peter McColough was born August 1, 1922, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the first-born child of the late Dr. Reginald Walker McColough, Director of Public Works for the Parliament of Canada, and the late Barbara Theresa Martin. Peter McColough served briefly in the British Royal Navy, in the final year of World War II. He then attended Dalhousie University, and after graduation, enrolled at Osgoode Law School in Toronto. After law school, he studied at the Harvard Business School, graduating in 1949.

McColough worked initially for Lehigh Navigation Coal Sales Company in the USA before making the switch in 1954 to Xerox, then a little known manufacturer of industrial photocopiers and still known as the Haloid Company. Five years after that career move, his new firm introduced its first office photocopier. As one of the first companies to step into the lucrative arena and potential growth market, Xerox's annual revenues soared from $40 million in 1960 to almost $3 billion in the early 1970's.

Taking over the presidency of the firm in 1966, McColough significantly changed and altered the direction and goals of Xerox Corporation. By 1979, McColough had built up Xerox revenues to $7 billion a year and its annual earnings to $563 million.

C. Peter McColough is survived by his wife of 53 years, Mary Virginia White McColough. They had five children, three surviving: Peter Charles McColough (1954-1987), Andrew McColough (1955), twins Ian McColough and Virginia McColough Keeshan (1956), and Robert McColough (1961-1999). He is also survived by his sister, Patricia McColough Wallace, and his seven grandchildren: Alexander McColough, Charles McColough, Austin McColough, Peter McColough, Caroline Keeshan, Paul Keeshan, and Katherine McColough.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, December 20 - 10:30 at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 469 North Street, Greenwich. Burial immediately following at St. Mary's Cemetery 399 North Street, Greenwich.There will be no calling hours.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity.