Indiana University Athletics
Doug and Margaret Strong - True Friends of the Program
1/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Varsity Club
Jan. 22, 2007
Doug and Margaret Strong epitomize what it means to be "friends of the program". Their love for the sport of swimming and admiration for the Hoosier program have inspired them to establish the Doug Strong Swimming Scholarship.
Doug, a long-time friend of legendary coach Doc Counsilman, swam at Northwestern and is now an accomplished master's swimmer, while Margaret's passion for music prompted them to make a similar gift to benefit music students in IU's Jacobs Schools of Music. When asked about their motivation for such philanthropy, Doug Strong replied that "both gifts were the results of a labor of love."
Indiana head coach Ray Looze believes the generosity and support of people like the Strongs will benefit the program for years to come.
"Doug has been a long-time supporter of swimming, not only at IU, but in the Bloomington community," Looze said. "He's a lifelong swimmer himself, and this gift allows the Strong family to have a lasting impact on the swimming community in Bloomington and Indiana."
The Strongs were recognized and presented the Marge Counsilman Service Award on Saturday at Indiana's last home meet where the Hoosiers successfully defeated Missouri on Senior Day.
Carmella Hise at the IU Foundation worked closely with the Strongs to structure their gift in such a way that it was mutually beneficial for them and for IU. This gift incorporated two different gift vehicles - a charitable gift annuity (CGA) that will provide them an income stream throughout both of their lives and an outright gift made possible through the IRA charitable rollover opportunity created by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. (This opportunity ends on 12/31/2007)
Hise is in awe of the pair's generosity and genuine love for swimming at Indiana.
"The generosity of Doug and Margaret Strong continues to amaze me," Hise said. "I have never seen two people with such zest for life and who receive such joy in giving back to others. Working with them on two Matching the Promise Scholarships has been one of the highlights of my job at IU."
Through the Matching the Promise campaign on the IU Bloomington campus, the impact of this gift is doubled due to the income matching program for qualified endowment gifts of $50,000 or more.
For more information on establishing student-athlete scholarships at IU, please contact Kelly Bomba in the IU Varsity Club at (812) 855-0319 or kbomba@indiana.edu.
