[2] He successfully ran the Mission for Homeless Men (later the McGregor Institute) in Detroit from 1891 until it closed its doors in 1935, first as supervisor and then as a managing trustee.
He also helped create the Thursday Noon Group, which met to discuss important community issues like justice in the courts and prisons.
Thomas had contracted a severe respiratory illness from the hard labor under harsh weather conditions during the renovation of the Mission's building, and he missed the opening day ceremonies.
At 22, Tracy abruptly found himself as head of his family; in addition to his mother, his brother Murray (1879) and sister Ruth (1881) were still at home.
In February 1901, the Mission's governing board hired his brother Murray to tend to financial matters, allowing McGregor to step back a bit to concentrate on other pursuits.
During the 1930s, the U.S. government began programs for the poor; as a consequence, the Institute closed its doors in 1935 and the building was donated to Goodwill Industries.
They were major sponsors of the Associated Charities of Detroit, and, in 1909, they were "donors of major gifts to the Detroit YMCA, Detroit Rescue Mission, Michigan Audubon Society, Grace Reform Mission, Michigan Child Labor Association, Boy Scouts of America, Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent dePaul, Crittenden House, Thompson Home for Homeless Ladies, Visiting Nurses Association, Protestant Orphan Asylum, and the Women's Board of Home Missions.
"[6] Much of the McGregors' interest in these organizations was fueled by the plight of the large immigrant population that arrived in Detroit in the early twentieth century.
Generous grants were (and still are) given to charitable organizations that fit within the interests of the McGregors, including homeless support agencies, education, and mental hygiene programs.
[1] McGregor was on the Committee of Management for the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan and worked closely with its curator of manuscripts Howard Henry Peckham.
McGregor donated $100,000 to the library and saved a rare collection of historical manuscripts from the Revolutionary War period from being sold and ultimately dispersed to the general private sector.
In addition to running the Mission for Homeless Men for 25 years, McGregor served on boards of trustees and chaired other organizations.
In 1900, Michigan Governor Aaron T. Bliss appointed McGregor to the State Board of Corrections and Charities as the Wayne County agent.
"[11] His efforts were rewarded when voters approved a bond to create the Wayne County Training School in Northville, Michigan.
The Committee on Americana for College Libraries was created by the American Historical Association (AHA) in 1933 to administer the McGregor Plan.
Participating colleges contributed $500 annually and the McGregor Fund matched with an additional $500, so each institution was able to receive $1,000 worth of rare books each year.
Considering that the McGregor Plan was in effect from 1934 to 1943, most of which coincided with the Great Depression years, many rare and valuable Americana books were able to be purchased at affordable prices.