Why set up the Wellcome Trust?
For one, my son Henry was not well suited to lead the company. He lacked ambition and had a learning disability, dyslexia, which no one understood. Everyone thought he lacked intelligence. On my death, 100 percent ownership in my companies—all under the Wellcome Foundation umbrella—went to the Wellcome Trust, which began divesting itself of ownership in the for-profit companies in 1986. In my will, I wanted profits from the Wellcome Foundation plowed back into the Wellcome Trust to fund scientific research. Today, the Trust has an endowment of $20 billion, which drives a great deal of important scientific research. How would you like to be remembered in southern Minnesota? It seems the only people remembering me are the organizers of the Sir Henry Car Show in Garden City. For that I’m grateful, because I was passionate about motoring. That is enough, although I do wish someone would please recognize my Uncle Jacob’s contributions as an early Mankato surgeon. He was a great man.
Related Questions
- I am based in a developing/restructuring country but I have never been a principal applicant or coapplicant on a Wellcome Trust award. What am I eligible to apply for?
- I have already received research funding from the Wellcome Trust and I am resident in a developing country. What am I eligible to apply for?
- What is the Wellcome Trust policy on long-term support for health research in developing countries?
