History

The Wistar Institute
General Isaac J. Wistar founded The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology in 1892 in memory of his great uncle, Caspar Wistar, M.D., a professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania in the early nineteenth century. The Institute was created to house the anatomical collection used by Dr. Wistar and William Edmonds Horner, M.D., in their medical school classes. The Institute’s charter stipulated that it was to operate as an independent research entity dedicated to the maintenance and enhancement of its anatomical collection and to the “conduct of any other work for the increase of scientific knowledge.”

Birth of the Cancer Center
In 1957, Hilary Koprowski, M.D., was appointed director of the Institute – a position he would hold for 34 years. Under his leadership, Wistar scientists began to devote increasing efforts to cancer research and made significant advances in tumor virology, carcinogenesis, and molecular biology.

In recognition of this increased focus on cancer research, the National Cancer Institute named Wistar as one of the first federally designated Cancer Centers. Today, Wistar is one of only seven NCI-designated Cancer Centers devoted solely to basic research. The Institute's capabilities in cancer research were greatly enhanced in 1975 with the addition of a cancer wing to Wistar’s main building, supported by $5 million provided by a construction grant from the NCI, as well as private donations. 

From 1975 until 1990, the Cancer Center focused its efforts on DNA and RNA tumor viruses and tumor immunology, using the developing technology of monoclonal antibodies. In the 1980s, emerging interest in molecular genetics led some Wistar scientists to concentrate their research on genes that contribute to the development of cancer.

A new direction
In 1991, Giovanni Rovera, M.D., became director of the Institute and Cancer Center. The Institute’s increasingly strong cancer research emphasized on molecular genetics and monoclonal antibody technology for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Rovera refocused the scientific direction of the Center. His long-standing commitment to cancer research led him to recruit a talented group of young cancer investigators with expertise in genetics, structural biology, biology, and immunology. The Institute’s basic science programs were restructured to align with research opportunities and faculty interests. This included the elimination of programs in tumor virology and developmental biology and the creation of a program in gene regulation and expression. Upon Rovera’s retirement in 2000, Clayton Buck, Ph.D., became acting director.

Russel E. Kaufman, M.D., was appointed director and CEO of the Institute and director of the Cancer Center in 2002. He embarked on strategic planning, faculty recruitment, and facility enhancements that would usher in a new era of growth and vitality for The Wistar Institute Cancer Center.