Who was Jack Whitehead?
Memories of Jack
From the memorial service for Edwin C. (Jack) Whitehead,
Whitehead Institute, March 2, 1992
Jack’s exuberance for science is a legacy for
the Institute and for the country. He was a real science
junkie, filled with enthusiasm for the people, the equipment,
the gossip, and, most important, for the potential human
benefit of biomedical research. How remarkable and fortunate
that a non-scientist embraced us so wholeheartedly!
One of my fondest memories is Jack’s penchant
for engaging graduate students and postdocs in discussions
about their latest experiments. His probing questions
made everyone at the Institute feel that he took a personal
interest in their work, and his fearlessness in plumbing
to the heart of matters is part of our heritage. We
will all excel if we live up to his standard.
—Gerald R. Fink
Jack was a unique person. His open-mindedness, his support
for all aspects of our work, and his kindness will have
a lasting impact on our lives. He loved skiing and with
his passion he converted even the most hesitant and
least athletic of us into enthusiastic downhill skiers.
I am glad I knew him and I am sorry for those who did
not. For them, “founder of the Whitehead Institute”
will have quite a different meaning than for those of
us who have been fortunate enough to know him personally.
—Rudolf Jaenisch
Jack Whitehead was a true hero, a personal hero. His
exuberance, his generosity, his optimism, his vision
were a constant reminder of how to live life. His good
works and deeds touched thousands. They were a testament
to what one determined, caring soul can do for his fellow
man.
Jack was the sort of person who comes along once in
a lifetime. I’ll miss him deeply, as I try to
live up to his example.
—Eric S. Lander
I remember him above all as a warm, humane, and extraordinarily
intelligent person. He asked my opinion about all sorts
of scientific and nonscientific issues and would not
hesitate to challenge my views, or inform me of facts
or persons I should have known—
Jack loved a good discussion.
At retreats, he would always talk with and encourage
young scientists, inquiring about their backgrounds
and current projects. He was critical but caring, supportive
but non-interfering… Whether in sports or in science,
Jack wanted the people around him to exert themselves
to the limits of their abilities. I shall miss Jack,
as will all who have known and worked with him.
—Harvey F. Lodish
Jack always questioned why anything had to be done in
a conventional manner. The Whitehead Institute is the
result of one of Jack’s “Why” questions.
In five years, virtually none of the students and postdocs
in the Institute will have met Jack or heard him give
the famous “arrogance lecture,” in which
he urged each of us to develop the self-assurance that
would allow us to do whatever we wanted, if only we
believed enough in ourselves. Only the faculty will
remember Jack personally. It is up to us to continue
his tradition of asking, “Why?”
—Paul T. Matsudaira
In addition to building a premier biomedical research
institute, Jack influenced our thinking about scientific
research. Jack’s campaign to educate the public
about the importance of biomedical research extended
to us scientists; he educated us both about how lucky
we were to be able to do research and about our responsibility
to communicate the value of our work to the public.
—Terry L. Orr-Weaver
Jack was a philanthropist of the most extraordinary
sort—he gave abundantly from a generous supply
of wisdom, wit, personal electricity, and, above all,
passion for excellence.
He made clear by powerful example and statement that
he expected nothing less than our absolute best, whether
at the lab bench, in the classroom, in explaining science
to the public, or on the ski slope!
He cared deeply about each of us and about what each
of us could contribute to the advance of knowledge and
the betterment of the world.
—David C. Page
There is a replica of a ski trail sign in Jack’s
house in Vail that says “Jack’s Joy.”
Along with skiing, the Institute was Jack’s joy.
With a lot of care and support from him, the Institute
has grown to become an example of excellence in science…
He saw the Institute become institutionally stable,
both in governance and in finance, and therefore able
to carry his dream into the future.
—John Pratt
When I think of Jack Whitehead, I immediately conjure
up the physical Jack—cherubic face; the small,
somewhat apologetic smile, a little self-effacing; the
dark suit; the red carnation. He reminded me of a would-be
angle looking to earn his wings. In reality, he was
smart, tough, straightforward; a man who knew what he
wanted and how to get it. So, I guess he wasn’t
an angel but I do think he earned his wings.
—Margaret Sand
For Jack, we at the Whitehead, young and old, were the
best that walked this planet. We were, in his eyes,
simply terrific. He could not contain his enthusiasm
for us.
It was not just Jack’s extraordinary generosity
that made our Institute. Equally important was a page
from his book of life that each of us must learn from:
by showing a warm, caring enthusiasm for the young,
one can move worlds. May his memory be a blessing for
all of us.
—Robert A. Weinberg
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