P.E. MacAllister, businessman and civic leader, dies at 101

P.E. MacAllister (IBJ file photo)

Pershing Edwin MacAllister, an Indianapolis businessman and vastly influential civic leader and figure in local Republican politics, died Wednesday.

He was 101 years old.

Preferring to be known by the initials P.E., MacAllister helped build Indianapolis-based family business MacAllister Machinery Co. into a regional powerhouse. He also worked behind the scenes in a wide variety of capacities during the city’s resurgence that began in the 1960s.

He served in top positions on the election campaigns of Mayor Richard Lugar and Mayor Bill Hudnut, as well as on a myriad of corporate, civic and government boards. He played a key role in developing the Hoosier Dome as a member of the Marion County Capital Improvement Board, and founded the Indianapolis Parks Foundation.

“The greatness of P.E. is that he was not one thing, he was many things,” Mayor Joe Hogsett said Thursday in a media statement. “A veteran, a businessman, a civic leader, and a philanthropist—his impact on our community cannot be overstated. Over the course of P.E.’s life, our city rapidly evolved and much of the vibrancy we enjoy today is a direct reflection of P.E.’s generosity and vision.”

Vice President and former Indiana Gov. Mike Pence called him a “titanic figure” in Indiana politics.

“He wasn’t just a mentor to me but was a mentor to an entire generation of great conservative leaders,” Pence said in a prepared statement. “P.E.’s true memorial is a strong and vibrant city of Indianapolis.”

MacAllister, who served as chairman of MacAllister Machinery Co., was born Aug. 30, 1918, in Oconto, Wisconsin, to Edwin W. and Hilda MacAllister. He grew up during the Great Depression and graduated from Carroll College in 1940 with intentions of becoming a teacher. He then enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force.

He “washed out” of flight school and became an armament officer, responsible for arming a squadron of P-38 fighters. He was stationed in England, North Africa and Italy, where he finished his service with the rank of captain.

In June 1945, he began working for his father at MacAllister Tractor Co., the Allis Chalmers Caterpillar dealer for much of the state at that time, according to the Indiana Historical Society. He worked his way up in the company, beginning his career packing parts and moving on to working as a mechanic and later a salesman.

When his father became ill in 1951, P.E. and his brother, Dave, took over MacAllister Machinery, according to his obituary.

The brothers ran the business for 30 years before P.E.’s son, Chris, assumed control in 1991. P.E. remained chairman, and the business grew to employ 2,500 people.

“P.E. continued to report for work every day, keeping in touch with customers, employees, Caterpillar, and the financial results,” his obituary states. “Not many can brag about 74 years of service to their employer.”

In 1967, he ventured into politics when former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar ran for Indianapolis mayor. MacAllister served as his campaign treasurer for both his first campaign and his re-election campaign in 1971. He also was campaign chairman for former Mayor Bill Hudnut four times.

“Usually behind the scenes and with little interest in holding office himself, P.E. set about improving the process, structure, candidates, and quality of local government,” his obituary states.

He founded the Greater Indianapolis Republican Finance Committee and The Chairman’s Club—the fundraising arms for city/county races.

One of his proudest accomplishments was staging the Conference on Cities, an international symposium on urban problems in collaboration with NATO, which was held in Indianapolis in May 1971.

He served on Capital Improvement Board for 17 years, including time as its president, and helped to construct the Indiana Convention Center and the Hoosier Dome.

“P.E. MacAllister was a cherished friend, and inspirational mentor to so many young leaders,” Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma said in a prepared statement. “He was one of the principal architects of the renaissance of our capital city. He also left a giant mark in both industry and philanthropy—a legend of his time.”

He donated to hundreds of charitable and civic institutions, to politicians, to Little League teams, his alma mater and his church, Northminster Presbyterian Church.

Never one for fancy cars, expensive hobbies or flashy jewelry, he lived modestly in the same house for 58 years, according to his obituary.

He also was an ardent patron of the arts, including serving as president of the Indianapolis Opera Company and as a board member of the Indiana State Symphony Society. He also was vice chair of the Edyvean Repertory Theatre Board and a member of the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

He earned countless awards and honors over his career, including the state’s highest honor, the Sachem, in 2014, and the Sagamore of the Wabash, which he was given by five different Indiana governors, including current Gov. Eric Holcomb.

“Even though P.E. lived until the incredible age of 101, Janet and I were crushed to hear of his passing,” Holcomb said in a prepared statement Thursday. “I’m thankful for the impact this veteran, educator, corporate titan and all-around Renaissance man left on Hoosiers and the world. He was a man of deep faith and compassion with a heart for Indiana.”

He is survived by daughters Laurie and Sandy and son Chris, plus his grandchildren. Two wives, Rebecca Cochran and Fran Downing, who he married on his 85^th birthday in 2003, preceded him in death.