By Barry Wise Smith
Photo by Jordan Wald
When Phillip McWane found out he’d been selected as the 58th King of the Beaux Arts Krewe Ball, it was a very meaningful moment for him. “Being the King is a very unique honor,” McWane says. “It’s a small group—I’m just number 58.”
McWane joined the Krewe in 1997, as his father, James R. McWane, had done before him. “I remember going down before and after the ball to decorate and undecorate,” McWane recalls. “I love all the tradition surrounding the ball and the Krewe and of course everything that is done for the Museum of Art.”
Both McWane’s daughters—Laura Elizabeth McWane and Kathryn McWane Gaston—were presented at the ball as princesses, and King Phillip will be attended by his five grandchildren as his trainbearers—Greer Gaston, Ada Kate Gaston, Margie Gaston, Brooks McWane and Anna McWane—along with his niece’s daughter, Anna Clark Kincade, and cousin Margaret Spann.
And while McWane wasn’t officially revealed as the King until later, he found out he’d been selected last summer. “Last summer I received a voicemail from someone I’d worked with in the past, but I was suspicious,” McWane recalls of the enigmatic message he received from a fellow Krewe member. “I didn’t want to be presumptuous, but I had a pretty good idea why he was calling. I did not have it on my radar, but I was honored for sure.”
The 58th annual Beaux Arts Krewe Ball will take place on Friday, Feb. 28, at the Boutwell Auditorium. With decorations reflecting ancient Oriental grandeur, the Ball will feature the presentation of 31 princesses, with one being revealed as the Krewe’s Queen. “I’m going to play my part to support the princesses,” McWane says. “I’m just so happy to be included. It’s going to be a wonderful night, and we’re going to have some good fun!”
A Venerable History
McWane’s family has a long history in Birmingham, starting when his great grandfather J.R. McWane came to the Magic City from Virginia in 1904 as part of the company that erected Vulcan on his pedestal atop Red Mountain. He became the president of ACIPCO in 1921, eventually leaving to start the family’s eponymous company McWane, Inc. (originally McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company).
After living on Southside, McWane’s grandfather, William McWane, moved over the mountain and built a home in Mountain Brook in 1929 that the McWanes still live in today.
McWane and his wife Heather relocated their family to the house in 1997, after completely renovating it, and raised their three children there.
McWane always knew he would be part of the family business, and after graduating from Auburn with a degree in Industrial Management, he went to work at McWane in 1980. During his more than 40-year career, McWane has served as Executive Vice President (the title his son Will McWane holds now), President and now Chairman.
Power Behind the Throne
But all good monarchs know that the true power is held by the King’s royal consort, and McWane’s wife of 44 years, Heather, has played her role with aplomb. “My job is keeping things on track,” Heather says humbly. “I organize the King’s box, co-host the King’s and Queen’s private dinner the night after the ball with the Queen’s family, and work closely with the Queen’s mother. I’m essentially the organizational point person.” McWane adds, “None of this could happen without her.” The McWanes also give credit to last year’s King Ricky Bromberg and his wife Nancy for helping them to assume the throne with ease. “Ricky Bromberg and his wife Nancy have been invaluable in helping us to prepare,” Heather says. The King’s Box Guards are sisters and McWane cousins Laura Elizabeth Spann and Mary Beverley Spann, and the King’s Dukes include Cobb Hagan, Chris Hoyt, Raleigh Kent, David Smith, Stephen Spann, Ed Thomas, Mike Thompson and Burr Weatherly.
Servant’s Heart
In addition to his long, successful career in business (McWane was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2023), McWane has been active in his service to the city that has been his home his whole life. He has served on the Board of Directors for Children’s of Alabama since the late 1980s and supported the A G Gaston Boys & Girls Club. He also supports the McWane Science Center, which bears his family’s name, and is excited for the planned 30,000-square-foot Junior Achievement McWane Economic Education Center, which will provide experiential learning opportunities for financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship to over 20,000 Alabama students per year. He even served as the commencement speaker for his alma mater’s 2024 spring graduation. “I thought at first they might have called the wrong person,” he says with a laugh.
But the role that McWane and his wife value above all is that of grandparents. “They are the greatest grandparents,” says Elon Allen, a McWane friend and longtime Krewe Ball Coordinator. The McWanes regularly walk their grandchildren home from school in the afternoon and host weekly sleepovers with some or all their grandchildren. “We’re blessed that they’re all close by.” Heather says.
