McLaughlin Research Institute Receives Two Significant Donations
Great Falls, Montana – June 1, 2017 - McLaughlin Research Institute (MRI) recently received two donations totaling nearly $1,000,000. The first gift is a charitable remainder trust established by Irving Weissman and the second is a bequest made by the late Leroy Strand. “This is a real vote of confidence in MRI,” said Randy Gray, Chair of the Board of Directors. Dr. Michael Kavanaugh, the director of MRI, said “The generous contributions from Irv Weissman and Leroy Strand to the McLaughlin Research Institute will help us move forward with a number of innovative and exciting neurodegenerative disease research projects, including a new clinical research site at the Institute.”
Although these donors led very different lives, both have been committed to the innovative biomedical research and education carried out at the Institute. Here are their stories.
In 1956, an eager high school sophomore, Irving Weissman, approached MRI director Dr. Ernst Eichwald about the possibility of working in the lab. Irv was persistent and, after he made it clear that he didn’t expect to be paid, was allowed to help change mouse cages after school. He quickly became more and more involved in the lab and the excitement of research, and spent most of his high school, college, and medical school summer vacations working on research projects at MRI. These experiences inspired him and helped launch a distinguished career which included his pioneering work in the discovery and clinical applications of stem cells. Dr. Weissman currently serves as Director of Stanford University’s Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and he chairs the McLaughlin Research Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee. His experience inspired the summer intern program which is still in existence today.
Leroy Strand spent his lifetime working around cattle and horses. As a boy he helped with his father’s livestock business and also fed beef calves to show for 4-H. In 1940 he became a partner with his father in the Oswald Strand & Son livestock business in Manly, Iowa where large cattle auctions were held annually for many years. Four years later Leroy entered into a partnership with his parents and brother in purchasing a cattle ranch near Geyser, Montana. He became sole owner of the Strand Ranch in 1964, and operated and managed it until 1998. He continued to live on the ranch and enjoyed coming down to the corrals to evaluate the cattle, watching the hay operation, and driving around showing visitors the beauty of the land. Leroy was a generous and consistent friend of the Institute since 2005.
The McLaughlin Research Institute is an internationally recognized center for research on degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, MS, and prion diseases. The Institute is an independent, nonprofit organization that develops and maintains genetically engineered cell lines and mice that model human disease. Research with these model at MRI and in collaborators’ labs throughout the world is focused on developing and testing new therapies to prevent and cure these devastating diseases. The Institute is also committed to outreach and education for young Montanans.