Title:Donor Profile: The McBride Family

When J. Nevins McBride (C’29, H’78) came to the Hilltop as a student nearly 90 years ago, he began a legacy. For three generations, members of the McBride family have followed in his footsteps. With the graduation of Christina McBride (C’13) this past May, the current count of family alumni stands at 24— with 29 degrees among them. Add six alumni spouses and you have a family for whom Georgetown is a way of life.

“We stay connected with Georgetown because the university continues to embrace strong Jesuit traditions,” said Mike McBride (L’78), whose father, Joe (C’40), was Nevins’ younger brother. “Every family member has had a tremendous experience there. It speaks volumes about Georgetown and its impact on people.”

“It’s not just that we’re connected to Georgetown—Georgetown connects us as a family,” said Tim McBride (L’75, L’80), Mike’s cousin. “Active philanthropy is a big part of that,” he added.

Starting with Nevins’ first gift at his graduation, the McBride family has given back to the university through extraordinary service and financial support. Mike, Tim, and their cousin David McBride (C’69, L’73)—Nevins’ son—serve on major university advisory boards and have taken the lead for their generation in guiding the family’s giving.

“Nevins felt that his time at Georgetown was very special,” David said. “It helped mold his character and inspire him to lifelong accomplishments for which he was forever grateful.”

Major gifts from the family touch all areas of the university and include the McBride Chair in Computer Science, the first endowed position in that department; the McBride Executive Center at the McDonough School of Business; an early gift for Regents Hall, Georgetown’s new science building; a scholarship endowment for athletics; and a scholarship and other substantial capital support for the Law Center.

During the Generations campaign, the McBrides decided to honor their family’s roots in real estate—dating back to the company that family patriarch Frank A. McBride established in 1898—with a gift from two generations to the new Real Estate Finance Initiative at the McDonough School. The initiative trains students to be global leaders in the industry through both academic and experiential learning.

“Real estate is in our blood, so when the opportunity arose to help Georgetown become a leader in real estate education, it made sense to support the initiative,” Mike said.

The three cousins are looking forward to the younger family members taking the reins to continue the McBride legacy at Georgetown far into the future. “Giving is not just writing a check; it forms a partnership … and we become part of the fabric of the university,” Tim said.