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The Webb-Waring lung institute Earl)' Development and History on the Denver Campus Roger S. Mitchell, MD, Denver, Colorado After Dr. Webb's death in 1949, Dr. Waring was elected President of the Colorado Founda- tion for Research in T~berculosis. With the help of Robert Stearns, President, University of Col- orado, he was able to obtain permission to move the Foundation to a new laboratory building on the University of Colorado Medical Center campus in Denver in 1953. I was recruited as Director upon the closing of Trudeau Sanitarium in late 1953. At the time of my arrival in February of 1955, the Foundation professional staffconsisted of J. Carroll Bell, MD, internist, Howard D. Olson, PhD., microbiologist, Miss Gladys Dart and Mr. Dick Riemensnider, technicians. The labora- tory was then a two-story building. New staffwere rapidly recruited: Giles F. Fil- ley, MD, pulmonary physiologist in 1955; Alfred J. Crowle, PhD., microbiologist and im- munologist and M. Laurence Morse, PhD., geneticist, in 1956. and Oscar K. Reiss, PhD., biochemist, in 1958. Dr. Olson resigned in 1956. Dr. Bell passed away in 1960. The J. J. Waring Chair of Biology was created in 1961; its first occupant was Dr. Morse. The laboratory building was enlarged three times. The first addition was one story in 1959; the second was t~,o' more stories in 1963. The name was also changed several times to reflect our expanded interest in all pulmonary re- search: in 1959 to the Webb Institute for Medi- cal Research; in 1963 to the Webb-Waring Insti- tute for Medical Research after Dr. Waring's untimely death in 1962; and to the Webb-War- ing Lung Institute in 1971. Dr. Robert Stearns took over as president from 1962-1969; Dr. Robert Liggett was presi- dent from 1969-1972; Mr. Thomas Stokes was president from 1972-1977; and Dr. HenD" W. Toll Jr., l:ecame president in 1977. In my early days in Denver we were predom- inantly interested in tuberculosis microbiology, immunology, and chemotherapy, giving special attention to the phenomenon of isoniazid inac- tivation. Interest in emphysema and allied chronic lung disorders began in 1958 with the initiation of the Aspen Emphysema Conference (now the Aspen Lung Conference) and the so- called "Emphysema Registry" in 1959. Albert E. Vatter, PhD., electronmicroscopist, was recruited at the time of the second addition to the laboratory building in 1959. Great emphasis has been placed upon a close affiliation with the medical school. I was origi- nally recruited to fill a dual role, the other being to head up a new Division of Pulmonary Dis- eases (now called "Sciences") in the Department of Medicine. All subsequent doctorate level staff were recruited with the help of the cognate med- ical school department and were considered "full time" faculty members. During the 60's hayday of federal funding for medical research, our annual grant income top- ped $400,000.00. By the late 60's I found trying to handle the two jobs was too much for me. When the then Dean, Dr. David Talmage, asked me to take the job of Chief of Staff at our affiliated Veterans Hospital in 1970, I first relinquished the Head- ship of the Division to Thomas L. Petty, hiD, who had grown from my student, to Resident, to Fellow and finally to fellow staff member. I promised to stay on as Director part time until a new Director was recruited. To do this, it soon became obvious that we would again need to enlarge the laboratory. I worked three years on this project before turning the job over to my succes~r, our ex-Dean, Dr. Da~id Talmage, who became Director in June, 1973. • for 1979 125 T109320718

r The Webb-Waring lung institute Plans for the Future David W. Talmage, MD, Denver, Colorado Since assuming the Directorship of the "Webb-Waring" in 1973, I have concentrated on five goals: 1) to increase the amount of research laboratory space in the Institute; 2) to strengthen the basic sciences in the Institute; 3) to foster interdisciplinary research; 4) to bring the Pulmonary Science Division into the Insti- tute; and 5) to create a bridge between the basic and clinical sciences. The expansion of the research laboratories has been proceeding steadily. When the new addition was completed in 1975, there were suf- ficient funds for finishing only two and one-half of the five floors. Since then we have completed a Human Performance Laboratory on the first floor, built a beautiful new animal quarters in the basement, and built new laboratories where the old an, imal quarters were on the fourth floor. We are just now beginningthe completion of the second floor laboratories which will house the new Experimental Pathology Division. With that done, our first goal will be 90 per cent complete. To strengthen our basic sciences, I have first concentrated on Immunology which is my o~ field. Immunology was always important to both Dr. Webb and Dr. Waring because of their great interest in tuberculosis. Tuberculoim- munity is still the central pillar of our im- munological research. Dr. Crowle is seeking easier and better ways of testing his tuber- culosis vaccine. I am studying transplantation and cancer immunity, both closely related to tuberculoimmunity. Whatever his field of interest, each of the basic scientists is asked to be a leader in his own field in order that he be able to provide the best possible guidance to other scientists in the Institute. I believe that a solid foundation of several basic science fields is the best base on which to build interdisciplinary research. In order to extend the scope of the Institute from the most basic to the most clinical re- search, we have invited the Pulmonary Sciences Division of the Department of Medicine, to oc- cupy office and laboratory space ~dthin the In- stitute. They ~vill be housed on the third floor. To complement this move we have recruited Dr. John Repine from the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Repine ~dll arrive in 1979 and will occupy the newly finished laboratories on the second floor. He will be the Assistant Director of the Institute, Head of the Ex~perimental Pathology Division, and have the task of training clinical fellows in laboratory research, thus tying together the basic and clinical arrnz of the Institute.O 126 Rcc~:'~" ~,IOt~;TAIN ~alEDIC.&I. JOUP~;.~L TI09320719