 He had received both high school and college education at Brigham Young Academy and had been a member of that school's faculty.Among other positions McKendrick served as the librarian at Brigham Young Academy.McKendrick had been a faculty member at Weber Academy before he became the principal, filling the vacancy left by David O. McKay when he resigned to serve as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).