The P. Sue Beckwith, M.D., Boathouse, or simply Beckwith Boathouse, is an athletic facility at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

. The building primarily serves the university's women's rowing team. The university's club men's rowing team also uses the facility, along with the Hawkeye Community Rowing Program and the Old Capitol Rowing Club. It was a joint project of the City of

Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...

, the Athletics Department and Recreational Services of the

. designed by Iowa-based Neumann Monson Architects.

Groundbreaking Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod, or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are o ...

took place on March 12, 2008. The boathouse was dedicated on September 18, 2009. The Boathouse project cost US$7.2 million and includes

... a terrace, training area, locker room, meeting room, storage space, easy access to the Iowa River, and a UI College of Engineering-designed indoor rowing tank. It's also the first UI building designed to meet the standards for the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

P. Sue Beckwith

P. Sue Beckwith is a former alumni of the

. She obtained a bachelor's of science degree in psychology in 1980 and completed her doctor of medicine degree in 1984. Following a fellowship in colon and rectal surgery at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota she returned to

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

to run a successful surgical practice. Beckwith when younger was a basketballer and began rowing later in life. The lack of rowing facilities for student athletes resulted in her lead pledging US$1 million towards the building of a new boathouse which was named in her honor.

Hawkeye Community Rowing Program

The program is open to citizens of Iowa City and surrounding areas. It includes sessions for beginners and advanced for high schools and adults. It includes adaptive rowing for those with disabilities both physical and intellectual.

References

University of Iowa campus Boathouses in the United States Sports venues completed in 2009 2009 establishments in Iowa {{Iowa-struct-stub