Mr. McCormick’s Neighborhood He was introduced to radio when he served as a gopher for a DJ at WJAS in Pittsburgh. After the DJ left the station, Don left the business. As he reflects on this time, he wonders what would’ve happened if he stuck with it. His life took a different turn, temporarily at least. He served in the U.S. Air Force and later attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He returned to school 10 years later to earn his master’s degree. When Don returned to Pittsburgh after the Air Force, he went to work for Mellon Bank, J & L Steel, Hussey/ Copper Rank and later Allegheny Ludlum Steel, where he was a credit manager for 25 years. During that time, he was an officer on the board of the National Association of Credit Management to “give something back to my field.” He retired in 1998.
Don McCormick’s love of Pittsburgh has been heard over the airwaves, seen on television and even graced the big screen. Born and raised in the city, Don has a lot of pride in his hometown. He remains active in the alumni association of the South Hills High School and served as its president. He has been editor of the association’s newsletter for more than 20 years.
6
Fall 2020 Issue
After meeting and befriending a WQED FM station manager, he returned to his radio roots and volunteered at the station during their fundraisers. “It has always been a fun time,” Don said. “I’ve enjoyed being a volunteer for more than 20 years, and most of the volunteers have been around for many years. We’re like one big family.”
