Ted McCarrel
Ted McCarrel's wide base of professional acquaintances helped both his career and the founding of ACT.
McCarrel and E.F. Lindquist started the college admissions testing program and McCarrel's first contribution, according to Lindquist's January 1959 report, was an organizational strategy: Building the program on a state-by-state basis, first targeting the 11 states in the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
As the University of Iowa's director of admissions and registrar, McCarrel also gave the perspective of what information colleges looked for when making effective admission and placement decisions.
The pair were committed "to go all the way," as McCarrel wrote, to expand their vision for ACT into a national admissions testin program. With friends across the country, they were able to achieve their ambitious goal in a remarkably short amount of time.
The American College Testing Program made its formal debut at simultaneous news conferences on Sept. 8, 1959. Lindquist was at the Hotel Biltmore in New York City, while McCarrel led the announcement in Iowa City. McCarrel served on the ACT Board of Directors from 1960 to 1974.
Born in Illinois, McCarrel earned his bachelor's degree at Western Illinois State College in 1931 before heading to Missouri public schools, where he worked as a coach, high school principal and superintendent. He earned his master's degree from the University of Missouri in 1936.
After three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II, McCarrel joined UI in 1946. He assembled a network of professional acquaintances that led to his election to a variety of offices in regional and national organizations.
McCarrel went on to serve as president of Cottey College in Nevada, Mo., from 1965 to 1969. He and his wife were living in Su City, Ariz., at the time of his death in 1988.