Hope Happens honors Dr. William H. Danforth
Washington University Chancellor Emeritus
Receives Christopher Hobler Spirit of Hope Award
 Dr. William H. Danforth, Chancellor Emeritus of Washington University, was presented with the inaugural Christopher Hobler Spirit of Hope Award at the 3rd annual Evening of Hope, a gala dinner and concert Monday, May 14, 2007 at Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis.
Dr Danforth was honored by Hope Happens for his “demonstrated passion for and commitment to the mission of Hope Happens and support for a new model of doing research for neurodegenerative disorders at The Hope Center,” said Jean Hobler who made the presentation. Hobler is one of the founders of Hope Happens and a member of the Hope Center Steering Committee.
“Your visionary leadership and determination has built WU into one of the nation’s finest universities and helped make this the preeminent medical center it is,” said Dennis O’Brien, Executive Director of Hope Happens. “More recently, your ability to recognize the enormous potential of the Hope Center and your strong support of it are important factors in its rapid development into a center of excellence at the University.”
In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Danforth said, “I would not be here tonight if medical research had not extended my life. I believed in medical research long before its fruits affected my life directly, but now I have a personal reason to be grateful. And so do many others, probably even most of you in this room.”
Dr. Danforth then gave examples of principled but short-sighted resistance to medical research over the over the past 200 years.
“Closer to our own time we have seen strong and principled opposition to animal experimentation, blood transfusions, organ transplantation, vaccination to prevent cervical cancer, in vitro fertilization, and stem cell research,” he said. “Certainly, if the past predicts the future, good people will continue to oppose future advances. But, again if the past predicts the future, we will see the advances gradually accepted as a boon and blessing for humankind.”
Dr. Danforth also describe the importance of viewing neurodegenerative diseases as “a family of diseases” that can be approached differently by scientists and physicians working together. The Hope Center is pioneering a new model of collaborative, translational research for cures of neurodegenerative disorders.
“To make the most of this opportunity Hope Happens has partnered with Washington University first to build and now to strengthen the Hope Center that will concentrate on these diseases,” Dr. Danforth said. “The Hope Center puts together the right world-leading scientists, with the right vision, and the right infrastructure to mount an attack on these crippling diseases. The challenge for us all is to join the Hope Center in the pursuit of this noble cause. More Read Speach
As Chancellor of Washington University for 24 years, Dr. Danforth set a new course for the university’s future and completed its transition from a local college to a national research university. He established 70 new faculty chairs, built a $1.72 billion endowment, oversaw funding and construction of many new buildings, and tripled the number of scholarships for students. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Danforth was named Chancellor Emeritus by the Washington University Board of Trustees in 1999.
The mission of Hope Happens is to improve the lives of people with neurodegenerative disorders by promoting collaborative, translational research with the potential to fast-track cures. The Hope Center was founded in November 2004 as a collaboration of Hope Happens and Washington University. Both partners share Chris Hobler’s conviction that fundamental discoveries about one disorder can lead to treatments and cures for other disorders.
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