Darlene E. and James “Jim” B. (1969 B.S., 1972 M.A., 1974 Ph.D.) McCord believe in the power of character and commitment. These qualities are what inspired the two to form the McCord Foundation, which has made a generous gift of $75,000 for the new P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., Boathouse. They’re also the guiding principles by which the couple lives.

“This contribution is about Iowa’s women rowers,” says Darlene McCord. “It’s about their commitment to rowing, to the team, to the University. We value this kind of dedication, and we wanted to make a gift in recognition of it.”

It’s no surprise that the McCords would want to recognize such perseverance and hard work. The same values helped them establish McCord Research, an Iowa-based corporation that researches and develops high-quality products for wound and skin care. Darlene McCord — a biochemist with a Ph.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley who specializes in the chemistry of skin-product formulation — is the company’s senior researcher, and Jim McCord is the director of business development. Prior to this, Jim McCord was dean at East Los Angeles College and Los Angeles Southwest College.

Together, the McCords are members of The Presidents Club, which recognizes the UI’s highest-level contributors, and they have used their professional success to give back generously to others — including Iowa’s women rowers. “Whether you’re a scientist or an athlete, you must persevere to reach that goal line,” says Darlene McCord. “You have to reach for something deep inside of you and keep striving. We hope this gift will help these young women do that.”

Jim McCord admits that before meeting with Head Coach Mandi Kowal, neither he nor his wife knew much about the rowing team’s pressing need for a new facility. Now, they understand just what a difference their gift — which will name a dock at the new boathouse — will make for these UI athletes.

“We hope this will give the coach a way to attract and retain a new generation of women rowers,” says Jim McCord. “It’s amazing that Coach Kowal has done as well as she has, given the resources she’s had to work with in the past.”

Darlene McCord agrees: “It’s all about the coach and her players — and their amazing level of teamwork. We hope our foundation’s gift will tell these athletes: ‘We support you. We respect you. You represent the UI with dignity and pride — and that deserves recognition.’”

Thanks to the vision and generosity of contributors like the McCords, current and future generations of UI women rowers will be able to show their Iowa pride on the water — and in the boathouse.