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The Rockefeller University Council: Well-Placed Decision-Makers Adopt an Alma Mater to Promote Creative Philanthropy Number 20 May19,1980 Four years ago, I commented on the Medal of Science. And more than half practice by some universities of adver- of Rockefeller University’s 58 full pro- tising themselves in order to attract fessors are members of the National students.1 I had some fun with that Academy of Sciences. ~ essay by reprinting a few wildly satiric The quality of Rockefeller University university ads which originally appeared alumni reflects the quality of the facul- in Mad, the humor magazine. But the ty. In 1974, the National Research point I made was that in this age of Council published the results of a na- declining enrollments, it is not necessar- tionwide, qualitative evaluation of doc- ily a bad thing for universities to publi- toral graduates in the biomedical sci- cize themselves or their curricula. ences. The study included those who Tastefully done, such publicity can help earned their PhDs between the years students make intelligent choices. 1958 and 1972. The graduates were But attracting additional students is grouped by school and judged on the not the only reason a university might basis of their number of publications want publicity. I know of one that for and their citation rates. The results several years now has systematically at- showed that among doctoral graduates tempted to promote itself. Yet the from the 128 institutions studied, those school has all the students that it can from Rockefeller University ranked handle. The Rockefeller University in first.~ New York City has always had a small All this may come as no surprise to enrollment. The entire university con- those working within biomedicine. But sists of about 100 pre-doctoral students, if this is news to those outside of the 225 post-doctoral investigators, and a field, they can hardly be blamed. While faculty of about 225, of whom only 75 the low visibility of Rockefeller LJniver- are tenured. An enlarged student body sity may be caused by its small student is not what this highly selective school body, the problem is aggravated by the wants from its self-promotion. limited academic scope of the universi- The problem for Rockefeller Univer- ty. It specializes in the biomedical sity is that it suffers a lack of visibility sciences, with small research groups in that is out of proportion to its con- the behavioral and physical sciences. siderable achievements in both educa- Whatever increase in recognition the tion and research. Consider these facts. university has received in recent years is Since 1912, 16 faculty and alumni of the at least partly due to the efforts of a school have received Nobel prizes. group called the Rockefeller [University Seven of those prizes were awarded Council. The council was formed in since 1972. Six nobelists are still on the 1973 to improve public awareness of the campus, including University President university’s activities and their impact Joshua Lederberg. Four current faculty upon people. Today, the council num- members have received the National bers 93 members. Most of them occupy 484 key positions in industry, finance, or body of Rockefeller University is very government. Imyseff have been acoun- small. Each year, only 18 to 20 students cil member since 1978. Each member receive degrees from the school. More- serves as an ambassador-at-large on over, most of them pursue careers in behalf of the university, promoting the science. They don’t often reach posi- school whenever an opportunity arises. tions of power. And given a scientist’s The Rockefeller University was salary, they cannot be big donors to the founded in 1901 by John D. Rockefel- school. ler, Sr. Originally called the Rockefeller The Rockefeller University Council Institute for Medical Research, it was compensates for the lack of an effective simply what its name implied—a re- alumni body. Its current executive di- search center. It offered no academic rector is Mary Dean, who also serves on programs and awarded no degrees. In the school’s development and public af- 1910, the Rockefeller Institute founded fairs staff. Present council members in- the first hospital in the US devoted ex- clude the chief executives of such cor- clusively to research. It wasn’t until porate giants as ALCOA, Westinghouse 1954 that the institute started its Electric, and the Campbell Soup Com- graduate program. It awarded its first pany, to name only a few. A proportion degree in 1959. In 1965, the institute’s of the council membership consists of name was changed to Rockefeller bank executives from several nations, University.4 including Robert McNamara, president According to Barry Dress, who of the World Bank. Vernon E. Jordan, served as executive secretary of the executive director of the National Ur- Rockefeller Council from 1973 to 1978, ban League, sits on the council, as do a the university was for a time content to US district judge and, until recently, a pursue its work in relative obscurity. s former US ambassador.b Not until the early 1970s dld the school The Rockefeller University Council begin to systematically promote itself to has no firm membership criteria. In the outside world. The idea for forming general, a candidate for membership the Rockefeller Council belonged to must be substantial in his or her field James Linen III, who is director of and must be in a position to help the Time, Inc., and a longtime university university. Nominations to the council trustee. From the start, Linen intended originate with the university board of the council to, in the words of Dress, trustees, faculty, and other council “seed the country and the world with in- members. People who are willing and fluential decision-makers who are aware able to help can even nominate them- of us and what we do. ”s selves. Candidates’ names are submitted Probably no other university has to the nominating committee of the anything like the Rockefeller Council. board of trustees for approval. Recent- Most universities don’t need one. Larger ly, the council has sought to increase schools often have a number of weU- the number of its overseas members. placed alumni in aU walks of life. These Consequently, prominent citizens from alumni can help their alma maters in several nations, including Saudi Arabia, several ways. If they attain high posi- Japan, and a number of European na- tions in government, perhaps favorable tions, now sit on the council. Members policy decisions will result in the award- serve three-year terms. These terms are ing of grants for “the old school.” Or if renewable provided the member shows they become captains of industry, they interest and attends a reasonable might donate large sums of money. If a number of council meetings. ~ school’s alumni are numerous, their ac- Council meetings are held twice year- cumulated small contributions can add ly and last for one day. The greatest part up to a significant sum. But the alumni of a meeting consists of presentations, 485 usually by faculty members, of current that they do for their cause may be im- research at the university. A discussion measurable. By spreading the word period follows each presentation. At the about the work of Rockefeller Universi- council meeting of June 7, 1979, mem- ty, they help insure that the school will bers heard separate presentations on the continue to attract the brightest minds structure and functioning of sperm and as researchers and students. egg cells, the physiological role of the That Rockefeller University is an in- brain in reproductive behavior, issues stitution worthy of philanthropy need concerning the use of animals in scien- not be debated. Whether it is more tific research, and immunological as- deserving of support than some other pects of several arthritic diseases. At a institution is a matter of individual brief business session, the university’s choice. I happen to believe that my in- finances and future council agendas vestment of time and money in this elite were discussed. institution will have a multiple effect, Why do people become council mem- Over the years, Rockefeller University bers? Presumably, they are motivated scientists have made an incredible by simple altruism. Given the distin- number of milestone contributions to guished character of the councif’s biomedical research. It was they who roster, a cynic might conclude that first demonstrated that cancer in ani- council membership has a certain mals can be caused by a virus. And amount of snob appea[. But council Rockefeller University scientists were members are expected to perform real the first to isolate and successfully test services for the university. As Dress natural antibiotics. A method for pre- puts it, “We are not interested in simply serving whole blood for use in transfu- having famous names associated with sions is another product of research at us. There is no ‘laundry list,’ no station- Rockefeller University. The staff devei- ery with these names running down the oped a highly effective vaccine against sides. ”s Aside from improving the meningitiss- 12 and has recently made a university’s visibility among corporate real start toward a vaccine for malaria. 13 and governmental decision-makers, the These are only isolated examples. Us- council has engaged in considerable ing ISF’s own files of citation data it is fund-raising efforts. Unfortunately, the easy to document the impact of Rocke- very name of the university implies that feller University. First of all, its own it gets all the support it needs from Journal of Experimental Medicine sup- Rockefeller money past and present. plies that impact. The papers published But this is not true and has not been true by Rockefeller University scientists that for a generation.

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