Abraham Feinberg, chairman of the Weizmann Institute of Science Board of Governors, announced last night that six gifts totaling $13,340,000 had been received to inaugurate the Institute’s Endowment Fund. Addressing more than 1000 persons at the Institute’s annual dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, Feinberg said that the $13,340,000 included an anonymous gift of $8,340,000 received by the American Committee for the Institute. The balance represented five pledged gifts of $1 million each. Four of the five donors also requested anonymity. The fifth $1 million donor was Feinberg.
Feinberg, who is also board chairman of the Institute’s American Committee, said the goal of $100 million is expected to be reached by Nov. 1974, the centenary of the birth of Dr. Chaim Weizmann. “The plan is to seek and find 100 individuals throughout the world to underwrite the Endowment Fund of $100 million by their gifts.” Feinberg said. He added that during the past II months $1,7 million in gifts and pledges had also been received for specific endowment purposes, and in grants for specified research. This has been supplemented by $900,000, which includes proceeds from the dinner and other gifts.
Dr. Albert B. Sabin, Weizmann Institute President, cited challenges the Institute faces: finding the money needed to operate far-sighted scientific planning, and administration to remain in the forefront of scientific exploration, and supplementing important basic or curiosity oriented research with a properly balanced research program on urgent problems for the world and for the economic development of Israel.
COHEN RECEIVES FIRST WEIZMANN AWARD
Dr. Sabin noted that the Institute is one of the founding members of the newly-established International Federation of Institutes of Advanced Study whose purpose is “to involve the collective brain power of the world in trans disciplinary and transnational work on some of the most urgent world problems.” He said that among the first five projects chosen by the program are enzyme technology and water resources, in which Institute scientists have been chosen to play a leading role.
Dr. Sabin described some of last year’s attainments in expansion of cancer research, infrastructure for a new enzyme technology, expansion of chemistry research and research on nuclear physics. He paid tribute to three recently deceased Institute founders: Prof. Gerhard Schmidt, a victim of cancer; Prof. Aharon Katzir-Katchalsky, killed by Japanese terrorists in last May’s Lod massacre; and Prof. Arieh Berger, who died two weeks ago of a coronary blood vessel disease.
Martin C. Barell, dinner chairman, observed that last night’s event marked the 28th anniversary of the founding of the Institute. He noted that during this period the Institute “forged to the forefront of the international scientific community and became a great scientific resource for the world. Dr. Arthur Kornberg of Stanford University’s School of Medicine, who in 1959 won the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology, underscored that “support of science is absolutely vital to our future.” He cited the Weizmann Institute as one of the vital institutions deserving and requiring continuous research support and as “one of the top ten research institutions in the world.”
The dinner honored Arthur G. Cohen, head of Arlen Realty and Development Corp., who was presented with the Weizmann Medallion for his distinguished services to science education and to Israel. The first recipient of the award, Cohen is a member of the Board of Governors of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the 1972 Chairman of the Real Estate and Construction Division of the United Jewish Appeal of New York.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
