Kathryn C. Hach-Darrow begins the interview with anecdotes of Clifford C. Hach as a young, inquisitive child growing up on a farm and the effects of the Great Depression on the Hach family. Despite financial difficulties, the Hach family encouraged Clifford to attend Iowa State University where he met his future wife, Kathryn Carter. Similar to Clifford Hach, Hach-Darrow grew up on a farm during the Great Depression, but spent much of her early childhood riding in and flying her father's Eagle Rock biplane. Raising turkeys in order to finance her college education, Hach-Darrow decided to pursue home economics at Iowa State. Clifford and Kathryn were married in June 1943 after a yearlong courtship. Hach-Darrow discusses the responsibilities of raising their three children -- Mary, Bruce, and Paul -- maintaining a steady income, and developing a company. In 1947 Clifford and Kathryn started the Hach Chemical and Oxygen Company, which eventually became Hach Company, one of the most innovative, influential, and well-known companies in the world. Hach-Darrow relays her thoughts on and her memories of the key events surrounding the start of the company, the creation of the Hach Model 5B Hardness Test Kit, the decision to enter the water testing market, the incorporation of the company in 1951, and the importance and need for instrumentation. Moreover, Hach-Darrow discusses the company's initial public offering in 1968, innovation, the company's international pursuits, Bruce J. Hach's involvement with the company, and the importance of quality control and customer service standards. Throughout the interview, Bruce Hach appends his memories and reflections of Clifford Hach as a father, an entrepreneur, and an innovator. Hach-Darrow concludes the interview by recounting the effect of Clifford's death on his family and the Hach Company in the early 1990s. In 1999, Hach-Darrow sold the company to Danaher Corporation. Along with her family and other dedicated workers, Hach-Darrow now focuses her efforts on the Hach Scientific Foundation, known for its support of chemical education in the form of scholarships. Hach-Darrow is also an avid supporter of female entrepreneurship and was one of the founding members of The Committee of 200.
