Kenneth “KC” McAlpin, RIP

On September 29th, 2024, Kenneth Courtenay McAlpin, known to his many friends as “KC,” died at age 78 in Amissville, Virginia from pancreatic cancer.  At the time of his death, the longtime ProEnglish Board member, treasurer and former executive director was surrounded by his loving family.

KC was born on February 15, 1946, in Rochester, Pennsylvania, the second of five children born to the late Joseph Roderick McAlpin Jr. and Martha A. (McAlpin) Blanchard. He grew up in Houston, Texas, where he attended St. John’s School and then Memorial High School, class of 1964. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas in 1969 and earned a master’s degree from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona.

KC’s life changed in 1981 when he answered an employment help wanted ad in the Wall Street Journal placed by a new organization called the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in Washington D.C. Unlike KC’s work in the corporate world, FAIR advocated for policy reforms to stem illegal immigration and keep legal immigration at a moderate level that the U.S. could absorb without harming its own citizens’ wages and job opportunities.

After moving to the Washington D.C. area in 1982 to join FAIR’s staff, KC eventually became the executive director of ProEnglish. In 2010, KC moved to Harbor Springs, Michigan, while continuing his ProEnglish work. KC was more than a tireless ally in our mutual fight for common sense immigration. KC will be deeply missed by all who knew him.