Newswise — PHILADELPHIA – (September 13, 2012) – The Wistar Institute today announced its new seven-story research building under construction will carry the names of two of its staunchest and most generous supporters: Robert and Penny Fox.
The Robert and Penny Fox Tower at The Wistar Institute is scheduled to open in 2014. With 89,700 square feet of new laboratory space, the new tower will enable expansion of Wistar’s research operations and scientific faculty, and enhance opportunities for collaborative biomedical research.
“We are pleased to be part of this seminal moment for Wistar,” said Robert Fox. “To us, there is no greater investment than saving lives through science.”
A member of Wistar’s Board of Trustees since 1974 and Board chair from 1984 – 1994, Robert A. Fox is chair of the Building Wistar, Changing the World capital campaign. The five-year, $35 million campaign will support Wistar’s first major building expansion in 35 years and ensure the Institute’s future at the forefront of cancer research and vaccine development. Fox also was the first recipient of The Wistar Award in 1994, an honor which recognizes individuals who have been instrumental in ensuring the continuing vitality of the Institute.
A longtime supporter of Wistar, Penny Fox has been a partner in her husband’s board participation, notably chairing the 2011 Wistar Gala, which raised more than $150,000 for the Building Wistar, Changing the World campaign.
Over the years, the Foxes’ philanthropy has underwritten many initiatives, including the Robert & Penny Fox Distinguished Professorship held by Wistar Cancer Center Director Dario Altieri, M.D.; the Robert A. Fox Structural Biology Center; and the renovation of Wistar’s Grossman Auditorium.
“With the Robert and Penny Fox Tower, we are building an entirely new Wistar, one better equipped to link basic science with medical practice,” said Wistar President and CEO Russel E. Kaufman, M.D. “Through their generous support, the Foxes are helping to drive Wistar’s research engine forward into scientific frontiers that will have the greatest impact on public health.”
The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has long held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. The Wistar Institute: Today’s Discoveries – Tomorrow’s Cures. On the Web at www.wistar.org.
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