Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, McGlynn saw action in the United States Navy during World War II, serving from 1943 to 1946.
Returning from military duty, he attended Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1948 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in Philadelphia in 1951.
In 1962, he ran in a special election as a Republican to represent the 10th district on Philadelphia City Council, but lost to Robert B. Winkelman.
[1] McGlynn was nominated by President Richard Nixon on January 31, 1974, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania vacated by Judge Thomas Ambrose Masterson.
His service terminated on February 23, 1999, due to his death in Cancún, Mexico.