REPORT1980 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Box 100, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724
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ANNUALREPORT1980 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Box 100, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724 1980 Annual Report Editor: Annette Kirk Photographers: Herb Parsons, Joan James, Ross Meurer, Ed Tronolone Cover photos by Birgit Zipser Photo on page 14 courtesy of The New York Times ANNUALREPORT1980 COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY COLD SPRING HARBOR, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK OFFICERS OF THE CORPORATION Walter Page, Chairman Dr. Bayard Clarkson, Vice-Chairman Dr. Norton Zinder, Secretary Robert Cummings, Treasurer Roderick Cushman, Assistant Treasurer Dr. James D. Watson, Director William R. Udry, Administrative Director BOARD OF TRUSTEES Institutional Trustees Individual Trustees Albert Einstein College of Medicine John F. Carr Dr. Matthew Scharff Emilio G. Collado Columbia University Robert L. Cummings Dr. Charles Cantor Roderick H. Cushman Norris Darrell, Jr. Duke University Walter Frank, Jr. Dr. Robert Webster Mary Lindsay Long Island Biological Association Walter Page Edward Pulling William Robertson Mrs. Franz Schneider Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alexander C. Tomlinson Dr. Boris Magasanik Dr. James D. Watson Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Dr. Bayard Clarkson Honorary Trustees New York University Medical Center Dr. Claudio Basilico Dr. Harry Eagle Dr. H. Bentley Glass Princeton University Dr. Alexander Hollaender Dr. Abraham Worcel The Rockefeller University Dr. Norton D. Zinder State University of New York, Stony Brook Dr. Arnold Levine Wawepex Society Bache Bleeker University of Wisconsin Dr. Masayasu Nomura Yale University Dr. Charles F. Stevens Officers and trustees listed are as of December 31, 1980 Charles S. Robertson February 13, 1905-May 2, 1981 Charles Sammis Robertson, through his several of land in Lloyd Harbor that overlooked the waters gifts to this Laboratory, changed radically our of Cold Spring Harbor and that had for almost 200 nature, giving us the capacity again to do science years been farmed by members of his mother's at a level with the best and allowing us to escape family, the Sammises. On this land, they built a out of a long cycle of physical decay that had been marvelous Georgian-style home that they had badly accentuated in the early 1960s upon the designed by the noted architect Mott Schmidt. In decision of the Carnegie Institution of Washing- it and its surrounding fields and outbuildings they ton to discontinue support for its Genetics Pro- quietly raised their family of five children, Mimi, gram at Cold Spring Harbor. Anne, John, William and Kate. During the war We met first in the summer of 1972, soon after years they also served as foster parents for two the death of his beloved wife, Marie. They had children evacuated from an England then at risk married in 1936, quickly assembling a large parcel from the terror of German bombs and rockets. 4 Though always known as generous benefactors allow new staff members to start up their research to local causes, with Mr. Robertson serving many at full blast, as well as funds for many of the years on the Board of Huntington Hospital and for Postdoctoral Fellows who have worked here over several years as its president, the extraordinary the past eight years. nature of their private philanthropy remained a In 1976, three years after the creation of the closely guarded secret for twelve years. To Prince- Robertson Research Fund, Mr. Robertson trans- ton University, from which Charles Robertson ferred to us his lovely estate of some 45 acres on graduated magna cum laude in 1926, the Robert- Banbury Lane. The main house, which we now call sons, in 1961, donated 35 million dollars to be used Robertson House, came to us tastefully furnished to greatly expand and generously endow thewith reproductions of the fine, antique, family Woodrow Wilson School of Public and Interna- furniture, which Mr. Robertson had moved to his tional Affairs. Except for a privileged few, no one winter home in Delray Beach, Florida, upon his knew the identity of the benefactors until after retirement from the investment banking firm of Marie's death. Then the President of Princeton Smith Barney. A second endowment fund, the obtained Charles Robertson's permission to reveal Robertson Maintenance Fund, of $1.5 million their role. Princeton, like many other universities, dollars was then created to provide for the was going through the travails occasioned by the perpetual upkeep of the estate, along with a Vietnamese War, and many students were under special gift of $100,000 to be used in preparing the the illusion that only the CIA could be so generous estate for our special needs. We thus had the and wish for anonymity. means to transform the elegant seven-car Geor- Upon his wife's death, Charles Robertson be- gian-style garage into a meeting complex and so came concerned over the long-term future of his create the Banbury Educational Center, a facility house and property, worrying that upon his death, uniquely designed for the holding of small the Sammis lands that he had reassembled would conferences and the teaching of summer courses. again be dispersed. He came to us with the hope On June 10,1977, the Banbury Meeting House was that, as an academic institution, we might utilize formally dedicated, with Francis Crick giving the well his land and buildings, were he to properlyfirst lecture. It was a very happy occasion, with Mr. endow them so they would not soon be regarded Robertson and many of his family being in as a white elephant from which we should quietly attendance. To complete the Banbury complex, a disentangle ourselves. And wisely, perceiving that second residence, containing 16 bedrooms, was unless we were inherently stable, we could not added in 1980 to supplement the housing for 20 give an intelligent, loving use to his estate, he also visitors provided by Robertson House. Designed offered to provide several million dollars to create in the post-modern classical idiom by the cele- an endowment fund, the income of which was to brated American architect Charles Moore, it has be used to support research at the Laboratory been named Sammis Hall. itself. From the beginning of his formal association It was an offer too wonderful to believe, or to with us, Charles Robertson displayed an active consider even momentarily turning down, and we interest in our Neurobiology Programs and early eagerly joined with the Robertson family to set up expressed the desire to help us further expand a separate corporate entity to be called the studies on the biological basis of behavior. Toward Robertson Research Fund.It came into legal that objective, in 1977 he set aside further income existence in early June of 1973, accompanied by a from the Banbury Foundation to create the Marie gift of 8 million dollars from the Banbury Founda- H. Robertson Fund for Neurobiology. With these tion. This was the Robertson family foundation monies, we have been able not only to further created as a vehicle for the philanthropy made increase the scope of our summer programs, but possible by the sale in the 1950s of their share of also to initiate a year-round research program. the stock in the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Though still very modest in size, our experimental Company, which had been founded by Marie effortinJones Lab has already created new Robertson's family, the Hartfords. immunological tools that may radically alter the Among the first uses of the Robertson Research approaches taken by neurobiologists to under- Fund was the purchase of a Phillips 201 Electron stand how nerve cells become functionally inter- Microscope to be placed in the newly renovated connected into brain-like structures. Davenport Lab. Soon after, this fund allowed us to In all his dealings with me and other members of totally renovate and equip Jones Lab as a center for the Laboratory, Charles Robertson was the perfect Neurobiology and then to go on to complete the benefactor, modest, yet highly intelligent and renovation of McClintock Lab, creating the new desirous of further learning, graciously serious, labs that allowed our Cell Biology Group to come but always with a sense of humor, and deeply into existence. Robertson monies also proved loving and loyal to those individuals and institu- invaluableinallowing our summer research tions that he admired. His coming into our lives program for undergraduates to carry on when the was a marvelous, unexpected gift, his delight and NSF cut back on this program and in maintaininginterest in the programs he helped make possible several key summer courses when the federal was a joy, and his passing this spring an occasion of funds on which we had counted were lost due to deep sadness and reverence. last-minute recisions demanded by the OMB. Equally important, it has provided key monies to May 20, 1981 J. D. Watson 5 DIRECTOR’S REPORT The “War on Cancer" is now a decade old. As with doing it in a properly frugal manner. Are we still all most battles that go on too long, the hoopla and too casually writing purchase orders to consume bravado are now muted, and the charismatic the vast sums that are popularly thought to have generals who were to lead us to certain victory been flowing in our direction ever since Sidney have been rotated to less conspicuous commands. Farber, Mary Laker, and Benno Schmidt coopted Today we are led by the better staff colonels of the first Senator Yarborough, then Teddy Kennedy, immediate past, seasoned enough not to openly and finally Richard Nixon to declare war on criticize the tactics of yesteryear, knowing well cancer. This was to be a campaign fought on many that if their former bosses are perceived not to fronts, ranging from the curing of cancer to its have been equal to their charges, such lack of prevention.