[2] McAnulty earned his bachelor's degree at Duquesne University, majoring in philosophy and English with no intention of becoming a Holy Ghost Father.

McAnulty entered the Air Force as a military chaplain during World War II and served for fifteen years, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

This approach was necessary for two reasons: McAnulty had to live up to the reputation that Father Gallagher, his predecessor, had enjoyed, and also because the university itself had to have a highly visible public face in order to achieve its fundraising goals for campus expansion and development.

[4] McAnulty's first decade in service to Duquesne was characterized by a feeling of optimism for the future, as he worked to fulfill Father Gallagher's "Master Plan" for redevelopment of the university campus.

[5] This project was quickly followed by a large addition to the university library in the same year, as well as the purchase and renovation of a new academic building on Stevenson Street.

[6] A top priority for campus development was the construction of residence halls as Duquesne transitioned from being a nearly-exclusively commuter college to hosting out-of-state and even international students.

To this end, McAnulty made good on his promise to construct a dormitory for men, breaking ground on St. Martin Hall in 1962.

The Student Union, controversial for its poured-concrete ramps and large, plate glass windows, was designed by Paul Schweiker, a professor of architecture at the Carnegie Technical Institute, with groundbreaking taking place in 1964.

[9] The construction of Mellon Hall, a new, state-of-the-art science facility designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was completed in 1969.

[10] In addition, Vickroy Street was closed to car traffic and became the Academic Walk, landscaped promenade that cuts through the heart of campus today.

"[17] The stress of these financial pressures, as well as mounting divisiveness in the university administration, culminated in McAnulty taking a one-year sabbatical for health reasons from 1976 to 1977.

[19] McAnulty came back from his sabbatical in good spirits, finding the university in a firmer position than it had been six years prior.