Jim was born in Bassett, Nebraska, on March 23, 1945, to Warren J McClurg and Delia E. Allyn. He married the love of his life, Lori L. Goa on October 14th in Grand Island, NE. Together they developed deep friendships, traveled the world and were actively engaged in all areas of the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Community at large.
Jim earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Nebraska Wesleyan and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1973. He began his professional career as a member of the research faculty at UNMC, where he also served as an instructor in biochemistry. Throughout his life, he remained devoted to the University of Nebraska and its mission.
His distinguished career spanned science, business, and public service. Jim served as President and CEO of Harris Laboratories and later as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of MDS Pharma Services. He was President of Technical Development Resources Company, a consulting and investment firm dedicated to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship.
An advocate for Nebraska’s bioscience industry, Jim helped build and strengthen numerous organizations that transformed the State’s research and technology landscape. He was instrumental in the creation of Bio Nebraska, serving as Chair of its Board. He was a founding leader of UNeMed, the University of Nebraska’s technology transfer organization where discoveries made by University researchers could be brought to market.
Jim’s commitment to education led him to serve on the University of Nebraska Board of Regents from 2002 to 2012. His leadership on the Board was respected by both sides of the political aisle. Upon completing his service, he was awarded Regent Emeritus status in recognition of his lasting contributions.
Jim served on numerous corporate, nonprofit, and civic boards, including the University of Nebraska Foundation Board of Trustees, Nebraska Medicine, Hudl, Assurity Life Insurance Company. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Cancer Center Development Corporation, a 501(c)(3) organization that managed the programming and construction for the $370 million Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha. His counsel was widely sought and deeply respected.
In 2021, Bio Nebraska honored Jim with its inaugural Bioscience Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing the impact he had on Nebraska’s bioscience industry and the lives touched by his work. Friends and colleagues frequently described him as a visionary, a builder, and a mentor whose influence extended beyond any title he held. He is remembered for saying – “If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.”
Yet for all his professional accomplishments, Jim’s greatest gifts were personal. He was a devoted husband, loyal friend, and trusted advisor. He was a co-founder of the Faulkner luncheon group that lasted for years and was the home of bipartisan discussion and intellectual debate. He possessed the ability to listen with patience and curiosity without letting his personal views take over. He could make contrary arguments in such a way that they landed without hostility but rather with respect. He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.
Jim is survived by his wife, Lori; his sister, Joan Hall, of Chicago; and many nieces and nephews who admire him dearly. He was preceded in death by his sister, Marilyn Wheeler, of Boulder, CO.
Jim was much more than a successful executive. He was one of the architects of Nebraska’s modern bioscience system that continues to influence research and entrepreneurship today. He was a man of uncommon intellect who combined scientific achievement with a deep commitment to improving the lives of others. That is a rare legacy and one worth remembering.
A celebration of Jim’s life will be held later this summer.
Memorial donations may be directed in Jim McClurg’s name to the University of Nebraska Foundation.