Alvan, as he preferred to be called, was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, to James A. Macauley and Rebecca Jane Mills.

[1][2] Macauley led American Arithmometer — which would become Burroughs Adding Machine Company — for five years in Detroit.

Packard's "twin-six" twelve-cylinder engine enabled the automaker to step away from the competition and establish itself as an industry leader throughout the 1910s and 1920s.

[1] An eight-cylinder car that began production in 1923 became a favorite of European royalty and among the wealthiest American consumers.

Macauley was instrumental in the company's decision to produce the powerful Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, which was a key factor in the success of the famous P-51 Mustang fighter in World War II.

Macauley resigned from Packard in 1948 after the company lost its place as the leading luxury-car maker in America to Cadillac.

[2] Time magazine's biography of Macualey noted that he was an avid golfer and woodworker, and an excellent marksman.

[2] Macauley had several personality quirks including a dislike of people who jingled the change in their pockets or had gold fillings in their teeth.