Submitted by: Mary Jo Koran

SBT 8/5/1977

James F. Connaughton

December 22, 1914 – August 4, 1977

Connaughton, business, civic leader, dies

James F. Connaughton, 62, of Diamond Lake, Cassopolis, an area business and civic leader, died at 2:47pm Thursday in the emergency room at Memorial Hospital.

Connaughton had been president of the Wheelabrator Corp of Mishawaka from 1958 until 1974, when the firm merged into Wheelabrator-Frye, Inc.  Upon the merger, he was named first senior vice president and chairman of international operations.  In 1975, he was elected executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Gladding Corp. and a director of the firm.

Connaughton was a native of Hamilton OH.  He received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Cincinnati.  He was awarded an honorary doctorate of commercial science degree in 1961 from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.

He was active in Republican politics and in many civic and philanthropic programs in the South Bend community.

Connaughton was a trustee of St Joseph Hospital of Mishawaka and a member of the advisory council on liberal and fine arts at the University of Notre Dame.  He was also active in fund-raising drives for Stanley Clark School and the former St Mary’s Academy.

He also had been a director of the First Bank & Trust Co.

Connaughton began his employment with Wheelabrator after resigning an executive post at American LaFrance.  He was the president and chief executive at Bell International Corp. while service in the same capacity at Wheelabrator and later resigned his positions at Bell to devote his full service to the Wheelabrator firm.  He remained as a director ta Bell.  Connaughton also served a number of years as president and chief executive os Sterling Precision Co, a subsidiary of Bell International.

He was born on December 22, 1914, in Hamilton and lived here since 1957, after coming from Pennsylvania.

His wife, Sue Graham Connaughton, survives, along with a daughter, Mrs. Jane C. Allen of River Forest IL; three sons, James F. Jr. of Valley Forge PA; Thomas A. of Alexandria VA; and Stephen G. of South Bend; six grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Blanche Downs of San Jose CA, and Mrs. Mary Schwab of San Diego; and two brothers, Thomas of Houston and Joseph of Riverside CA.

Services will be at 12:15pm Monday in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Notre Dame.  Entombment will be in Riverview Cemetery.