Background
McCann was born in the Sperrin Mountains of Northern Ireland.
McCann was born in the Sperrin Mountains of Northern Ireland.
In 1924 and 1926 he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts, respectively, at Saint Mary's College.
In 1942, McCann joined the United States. Army and served in New Guinea before serving as assistant to Robert P. Patterson, United States Secretary of War. In 1951, McCann became president of Defiance College in Defiance, Ohio. In 1955, McCann began serving as special assistant to President Eisenhower and would continue to serve in that capacity until 1957 when he returned to Defiance College.