Editing C. Wade McClusky (section)

==Early life==
McClusky was born in [[Buffalo, New York]]. He was the second of five children to Clarence Wade McClusky, Sr., an accountant, and Mary Anastasia Stears "May" McClusky. Both of his parents were born in [[Pennsylvania]], but had spent their adulthoods in Buffalo.{{sfn|Rigby|2019|p=50}} Wade, Sr. was a [[Presbyterian]] of [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]] ancestry, while May was an [[Irish Catholic]]. Wade, Sr. refused to raise the children in the Catholic faith, and forbade May from attending Catholic Mass.{{sfn|Rigby|2019|p=51}} Wade, Sr. died in an automobile crash on October 8, 1928, after which May returned to the Catholic Church.{{sfn|Rigby|2019|p=51}} May persuaded one of McClusky's sisters to convert to Catholicism, but McClusky himself became an [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopalian]].{{sfn|Rigby|2019|p=51}} 

McClusky disliked his first name Clarence, and always signed his name as "C. Wade McClusky".{{sfn|Rigby|2019|p=52}} He attended [[South Park High School (Buffalo, New York)|South Park High School]] in Buffalo, where he was a clever and hard-working student. McClusky graduated in 1918 at the age of 16. As his family's financial situation was strained, he sought employment instead of applying to colleges. His first job involved cleaning the interiors of railroad tanker cars, and associated exposure to various chemicals. McClusky's son Philip recalled in 2015: "He told me once that it was a miserable job and as a result he was determined to go to college or the academy!"{{sfn|Rigby|2019|p=53}}