PC Degree(s):   BA/Education

Career Path:   After Edward McElroy earned a B.A. in education from PC, he became a full-time teacher at Lockwood Junior High in Warwick , RI where he became involved in the teachers’ union.  In 1967, he was elected president of the Warwick Teachers’ Union and then president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers in 1971.  He held that post until 1992, when he was elected secretary / treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).  He assumed the role of president in 2004.  He also served as president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO from 1977-1992 as well as vice president of the AFT from 1974-1992. 

As president of the AFT, McElroy is working to ensure that the vast majority of people become educated.  His major concerns include improving teacher retention and President George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act.  He looks to retain teachers by reducing class sizes and providing more resources and professional development opportunities.  McElroy is working to elevate the public’s perception of teachers as professionals and make it more aware of the value of education to society.

Family:   Wife Edwina; children Elizabeth, PC class of 1993; Mary, PC class of 1987; Kathleen and Steven.

Memorable Quotes:  “Providence College taught me that you had a wider responsibility than to just earn a living.  They emphasized being an active, involved, committed member of the community.  You came out of PC with a sense that the world didn’t owe you anything.  You owed the world something.”