He was the chief executive officer of International Harvester in the 1970s, and was the family's final member to lead the company that they had founded.
[1] During his tenure, McCormick tried to stem financial losses at International Harvester by selling the company's Wisconsin Steel subsidiary and exiting the money-losing pickup truck manufacturing business.
[4] McCormick stepped down as the chairman of International Harvester's executive committee on October 31, 1980, ending almost 150 years of his family's active management in the company.
[1] McCormick said that his goal behind the steeplechase event was "to revive public interest in a major equestrian sport missing in this area for half a century.
A condition of a bequest related to the sale was the demolition of several structures on the property, including McCormick's own mansion, which had been designed by noted architect Jarvis Hunt.
[9] McCormick also willed his collection of rare bird books and paintings to the International Crane Foundation, which reaped more than $2.7 million from their sale after his death.