[1][2] He served in the Infantry Branch of the United States Army during World War II and received two Bronze Star Medals and a Purple Heart.
He defeated former mayor John F. Davis by a 2 to 1 in the Democratic primary and beat city clerk Ralph W. D. Levan 18,556 votes to 11,674 in the general election.
[5][6] During his tenure, the West Shore Bypass was constructed, municipal parking lots were expanded, and the city's sewer system was upgraded.
[2] On September 7, 1957, United States Treasury agents raided the Reading House and arrested McDevitt's brother for tax violations related to an illegal horse book run at the bar.
[1] On October 15, 1964, McDevitt and former city councilor Bruce R. Coleman were charged with extorting $2,000 from a company that sold three fire trucks to Reading in 1959.