Manhattan College alumni return to talk about roles in recovery

Manhattan College School of Engineering alumni played a significant role in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

On Sept. 7, four Manhattan College alumni spoke about their roles in the recovery as part of a panel discussion, the first in an MC series of events held throughout the week called We Remember.

Michael Burton, former executive deputy commissioner for the Department of Design and Construction and Manhattan College alum from the class of 1984, led the recovery and cleanup effort at Ground Zero. 

“One good thing that struck me was that while hundreds of thousands of people were leaving the city, there were thousands of people that were going in the opposite direction. They were going towards danger, and risking their life to try to help others,” he said.

While the dust was still settling at the site, workers from city agencies, firemen, police and private contractors got to work searching for survivors, cleaning up debris, inspecting buildings and restoring power, he said. 

Mr. Burton said the men met every morning and night to talk about the cleanup at a nearby school, where they sat in chairs usually used by kindergartners.

“It was kind of ironic that what had been assembled was some of the best minds that the government could send to handle the disaster, some of the best minds in the construction industry and engineering industry and we all sat on little chairs that were probably about that big,” he said, bringing his hands together to show how small the chairs were.

Eugene McGrath, former CEO of Con Edison and alum from the class of 1963, had the job of restoring power at the site. That would enable cleanup to continue and the New York Stock Exchange to get up and running again. 

“It was not just a power issue, it was a symbolic issue. We wanted to show the world that New York was coming back,” he said.