Princeton Weekly Bulletin June 21, 1999
$55 million gift marks '55's 45th
Peter Lewis, Class of '55, has made a $55 million gift to Princeton, of which $35 million will be used for the new Institute for Integrative Genomics.
Launched last year, the institute will build on the University's strengths in the sciences and engineering to develop a multidisciplinary approach to examining how the actions of different genes are integrated in living organisms. Lewis, chair and CEO of auto insurer Progressive Corp. and a Princeton trustee, made the donation to mark the 45th anniversary of his class's graduation.
The part of Lewis's gift dedicated to the Institute for Integrative Genomics will support an innovative aspect of the program that brings together established Princeton faculty, senior visiting faculty and especially promising young researchers. The young researchers will receive five-year appointments, with ample start-up funds to ensure that they can focus immediately on research aimed at translating information on genetic sequences into discoveries about cells and their mechanics.
The institute, directed by Shirley Tilghman, Howard A. Prior Professor in the Life Sciences, will integrate research in molecular biology with ideas from fields such as physics, chemistry, computer science and engineeringdisciplines with powerful analytic tools for manipulating large data sets and managing complexity.
Area of international importance
"What really excites me about this new initiative," said Lewis, "is that it brings together remarkably talented people in a way that is very different from what has been traditionally done at Princeton. The combination of bright young minds, experienced senior scientists and the resources for them to work together creatively in an area of international importance maximizes the chances that good ideas and important discoveries will happen. I've always been a risk-taker myself, and this new institute seems very much in that spirit."
In addition to his gift to the institute, Lewis has allocated a generous share of his gift to the Class of 1955's 45th Annual Giving campaign; part of that will be used as a challenge fund for classmates. The remainder of Lewis's gift will be dedicated to a variety of projects currently under development.
"We could not be more grateful for Peter's generous commitment," said President Shapiro. "He sees clearly what we are trying to accomplish in our new institute, and he also understands the critical importance of the right combination of people and resources to the success of our campaign. I am especially excited by the opportunity this gift will give us to make the emerging study of genomics an important and exciting field heremade possible by bringing together the very best minds in a creative new way."
Long-time patron of arts
After graduating from Princeton, Lewis joined Progressive as an underwriting trainee. In his current position as chair and CEO, which he assumed in 1965, he has pursued his vision to reduce the human trauma and economic costs of auto accidents through a series of innovations, such as Immediate Response claims service and Express Quote, a free auto insurance rate comparison service.
A long-time patron of the arts, Lewis helped create the Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art, where a gallery is named in his honor. He chairs the board of trustees of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and he helped establish a gallery of contemporary art at Princeton.
Lewis's gift is part of the Anniversary Campaign for Princeton, launched in 1995 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the University's charter. The campaign, which has already raised more than $750 million, seeks to raise a total of $900 million.