HUNTSVILLE — The Alabama A&M Board of Trustees has established the Ronald & Patricia McCalep-McIntosh Sr. Endowed Chair in Biology, honoring the lifelong dedication and generosity of the McIntoshes, who have been steadfast supporters of the university.
The couple presented a $100,000 check at this month’s Board of Trustees meeting to establish the prestigious endowed chair, which will support the biology department and foster student success.
“We saw a need and we’re trying to help fill that need,” said Ron McIntosh. “Both of us were biology majors. This endowment means we are trying to help AAMU students fulfill their dreams, and we always encourage others to help someone else along their way.”
The McIntoshes have deep roots at AAMU.
Patricia McCalep-McIntosh grew up on campus and is the daughter of George O. McCalep, Sr., a long-time AAMU administrator, educator, and advocate who taught at the university for over 40 years. She graduated from Councill Training School in 1965, earned her B.S. degree in biology from Fisk University in 1969, and obtained her master’s degree from AAMU. She went on to work as a systems analyst for Xerox for 35 years.
Ron McIntosh, originally from the Ensley section of Birmingham, graduated from Western-Olin High School in 1966 and earned his biology degree from Alabama A&M University in 1970. He worked as a sales rep and facsimile specialist with Xerox for seven years before serving as an ombudsman and security specialist at McDonnell-Douglas and later retired from Boeing in 2010.
The McIntoshes have donated more than $500,000 to AAMU throughout their lives.
“If we don’t do it, then who will?” asked Ron McIntosh. “We as alumni, a village of people, must stop waiting on someone else to step up and do what we can do ourselves. ‘If I can help somebody along my way, then my living shall not be in vain.’”
In addition to financial contributions, the McIntoshes volunteer their time.
Ron McIntosh has been an active volunteer at AAMU since his freshman year, working under late football coach Louis Crews and Athletic Director George Hobson. He has served on the board of directors for the Boy Scouts of America and Hope Place, and has worked at WJAB as an on-air announcer under the name Shawn Patrick. He was the public address announcer for AAMU football from 2001-23 and has been the volleyball announcer since the late ‘70s.
Donating their time and money is a vital mission for the McIntosh family, a legacy that began with George O. McCalep.
“To whom much is given, much is expected,” said Ron McIntosh. “We must always be reaching down, back, or up to pull someone else along with us or push them ahead so they can get ahead of us.”
In 2021, the University honored the McIntoshes by renaming the vocational building on campus McCalep-McIntosh Hall after $4.35 million in renovations. The press box at Louis Crews Stadium is also named in their honor. The couple’s commitment extends to other HBCUs, including Fisk University, Miles College, and Harris-Stowe State University.
The McIntoshes’ children are also AAMU alumni. Their son Ronald Jr. holds a B.S. in business, and their daughter Patrice Shawntee earned her B.S. in education on The Hill. The couple attends St. John AME Church and participates in various church organizations, with Ron singing in the Male Chorus and Pat serving on the Stewardess Board. They also have two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Excited by the recent growth on campus, the McIntoshes have a message for prospective students and parents: “If you are searching for a university where you can turn your goals and dreams into reality, there is no better school than Alabama A&M University.”
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