A two sport letterman in basketball and tennis, J. Nevins McBride saw action in five games over two seasons as a reserve forward. "He has most surely established his versatility in sports, studies and the drawing room," wrote the College yearbook.

A licensed engineer, McBride returned to New Jersey to build his family's construction business, which was responsible for a number post-World War II projects in the region, including the construction of the second deck of the George Washington Bridge and numerous industrial parks with New Jersey's Interstate 287 corridor.

Within his community, McBride was a Knight of Malta, a Knight of St. Gregory and a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher. A former president of the Georgetown University Alumni Association, McBride received the John Carroll Award, the Association's highest honor, in ceremonies held in October, 1970.