The President's Society

The President's Society The President’s Society is a group of individuals who understand the importance of basic biomedical research to the elimination of cancer and infectious disease as causes of human suffering and death worldwide. With their annual gifts of $1,000 or more, they support research programs that are vital to The Wistar Institute’s mission, such as pilot research projects, shared research facilities, faculty recruitment and training for the next generation of scientific leaders.

President’s Society members also enjoy a special relationship with Wistar, its staff and resources. Among the many privileges of membership are personalized research updates and invitations to special events designed to educate as well as entertain, including The President’s Award luncheon.

[In the image: Lanny Newman and Maida Milone attend the President’s Award luncheon in honor of Carmen Marc Valvo.]

For more information, please call Josie Burri at 215-898-3930 or email jburri@wistar.org.

2013 President's Society Steering Committee

Edward J. Ryan, Chair
Max Berger
Keith Gaspard
Elizabeth Pesce
Paul Urick, R.Ph.
Donna Weinraub
Dan Wheeler
James Wistar

The President's Award

Since 2004, Wistar has honored a public figure with The President’s Award. The event takes place in the form of a luncheon in Philadelphia. The recipient of the award is someone who has not only confronted the challenge of cancer and won, but who has also gone on to advocate for more improvements in cancer education and greater increases in research funding.

Past recipients of The President's Award include veteran ABC News correspondent Sam Donaldson, a melanoma survivor; General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, a prostate cancer survivor; U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, a Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor; ABC’s “Good Morning America” co-host Robin Roberts, a breast cancer survivor; and fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo, a colon cancer survivor.

Members of The President's Society and local leaders are invited to attend The President’s Award luncheon. The President’s Society is comprised of Annual Fund donors who give $1,000 or more annually to The Wistar Institute as well as donors who have given cumulatively more than $50,000 over five years.