"Roscoe" McClave - N.J. PE # 1

An New Jersey Engineering Pioneer

By Michael Kelly, PE

Roosevelt Parke “Roscoe” McClave              May 2, 1881 – June 7,   1961 

Roscoe was born in New York City on May 2, 1881 and lived in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. McClave earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from Princeton University.  While at Princeton, he played both end and fullback on the Princeton football team, he also excelled in baseball.  He went on to become the Head Football Coach at Bowdoin College, 1907-1909. 

In 1931 he served on the New Jersey Approach and Highway Connection Commission for the George Washington Bridge.  The GWB New Jersey approaches were regarded as the world’s best design for traffic separation. 

Roscoe served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly (1937-1943) and Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly in 1940-1941.  In 1944 he was appointed by Governor Edge as one of twelve Economic Council Members contributing significantly to the establishment of the New Jersey EDC. 

He was the founding member of "McClave and McClave" which merged with Boswell Engineering in 1986.  Roscoe also served as the Bergen County Engineer. 

Roscoe’s New Jersey Professional Engineering License is No. 1, see copy of Engineering License above.  In addition, he was the first Licensed Engineer in either House of the State Legislature and, to date, the only Licensed Engineer to serve as Speaker of the General Assembly.