$1 million gift from Patty and Jim Cownie will support new programming and initiatives
Drake University is excited to announce a generous $1 million gift from Patty and Jim Cownie that will allow the Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy to establish the Patty and Jim Cownie Practitioner in Residence program. The Cownie’s gift to The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave & Bold will fund the creation of a Practitioner in Residence position at the recently established Institute. The Cownies have now committed more than $3.9 million to Drake University for various academic building projects and programs, athletic buildings and teams, and an endowed fund to support faculty.
The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy serves as a hub for democratic discourse, dialogue, research, and action focused on supporting a healthy democracy. The Institute combines coursework, innovative programming, research, and hands-on learning opportunities for students, including the Public Democracy Scholars, to engage in the political process. The Public Democracy Scholars program recruits five students per year, with the goal of having 20 scholars overall. Scholars are selected for their academic excellence, civic leadership qualities, and passion for the role of democracy in bettering their communities. Scholars receive a $5,000 scholarship each year.
“Drake is a place that values student engagement, with an enduring reputation for connecting students to the democratic process. We are incredibly grateful for the Cownies’ generosity, which will advance our work developing the next generation of civic leaders and innovators to better our communities and our country,” said Rachel Paine Caufield, Co-Executive Director of The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy.
The Practitioner in Residence—who will be announced at a later date—will be responsible for furthering the mission and programming of The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy.
The Practitioner will focus on collaborating with affiliated students and faculty, developing a proseminar, coordinating an annual Summer Institute, supporting aligned work with The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, and developing a student travel experience for the Institute.
“I can’t wait to see what we accomplish as we leverage the expertise of the Practitioner in Residence to advance the Institute for Public Democracy,” said Scott Raecker, Co-Executive Director of The Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy, and Executive Director of the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center. “Both institutions are working to transform lives and strengthen communities through focused programming, community engagement initiatives, and civility. We are able to pursue our missions with renewed energy thanks to the Cownies.”
About Patty and Jim Cownie
Iowa philanthropists Patty and Jim Cownie have had a long and meaningful relationship with Drake University. They have been friends and advocates of The Ray Center since its inception as Character Counts in Iowa in 1997. When Governor Ray first approached the Cownies about the concept of Character Counts in Iowa, Jim Cownie became instrumental in the development of the program’s business model and vision for the future.
Jim Cownie is the co-founder of Heritage Communications, which became one of the nation’s largest cable operators before being sold to Tele-Communications, Inc., and owner of JSC Properties. He was inducted into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 2001.
Patty Cownie has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to volunteerism. She served on Drake University’s Board of Trustees from 2000–2015. Patty went on to serve on the Iowa Board of Regents from 2015-21. Patty and Jim Cownies’ contributions of time and resources have made a significant impact on numerous organizations across the Greater Des Moines area and the state of Iowa.
The Cownie’s son, Peter Cownie, and his wife, Mary, have also supported Drake in numerous ways, including contributing to the Patty and Jim Cownie Practitioner in Residence program. Peter is currently a member of Drake University’s Board of Trustees.
Drake is proud to work with a long list of distinguished bipartisan public-office-holders who have worked with students, expanding their robust access to the political process, including:
- Former U.S. Ambassador to China and former Iowa governor Terry Branstad serves as an Ambassador-in-Residence at Drake University.
- Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues Stephen Rapp, LW’74, serves as a guest lecturer at the Drake Law School.
- Senior Adviser to the President for the United States Institute of Peace and former U.S. Ambassador Johnnie Carson, LA’65, is a long-time member of the Drake University’s Board of Trustees and continues to be instrumental in programs such as the Mandela Washington Fellowship, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative.
In addition, Drake University preserves and provides access to a number of political papers from Senator Tom Harkin, Iowa governors Robert D. Ray and Terry Branstad, Congressman Neal Smith, and State Representative Wayne Ford. To learn more about the Ron and Jane Olson Institute for Public Democracy, click here.