$65 Million Goal for House Research Institute Campaign
Several large gifts already have been made to assist the institute and the 65 Faces Campaign marking its 65th anniversary.
The House Research Institute has begun a fund-raising campaign, the 65 Faces Campaign, as it marks 65th anniversary of the institute. The goal is to raise $65 million.
"When my father founded the institute 65 years ago, his goal was to help patients hear and to share his knowledge with other physicians," said John House, M.D., president of House Research Institute and associate physician at the House Clinic. "My father's legacy lives on every day in the thousands of patients who have benefitted from the research and the thousands of physicians from around the world who have come to the institute to learn."
The institute said the campaign is its answer to the challenges of an increasingly noisy world through entertainment, as well as new drugs and diseases related to hearing loss. "In the 65-year history of the institute there have been amazing surgical and scientific breakthroughs, including the research and development of the cochlear implant and auditory brainstem implant," said James Boswell, chief executive officer of the Institute. "With research already in progress, the institute is positioned for many more breakthroughs in the next 65 years."
One of the first steps of the campaign and the anniversary celebration was the April 2011 name change to House Research Institute; this was the fourth name change since its founding in 1946 by Dr. Howard House -- previous names included the Los Angeles Foundation for Otology, Ear Research Institute, and House Ear Institute. "Changing the name to House Research Institute has given the 65 Faces Campaign momentum right from the start," said Daniel Graham, executive vice president of development at the institute. "The campaign promises to provide critical support for our enterprise, support that will secure our mission through infrastructure and endowment, expand our potential with innovative technologies, and empower our future with the capacity to recruit world-class scientific investigators."
Several lead gifts already have been made: David Koch donated $5 million to fund the Koch Center for Hearing Restoration; James and Anne Rothenberg gave $3 million with half as unrestricted funds to support the 65 Faces Campaign and the other half to Howard P. House, MD Endowment in honor of John W. House, M.D.; and Lynn Booth and the Booth Foundation have donated $1 million to the campaign. The Chandler family and their foundation, The Scottsdale Foundation, have donated $1 million to establish the Chandler Chair for Tinnitus Research. The institute said recruitment for a scientist to fill the endowed chair will begin immediately.
"We are pleased to support the House Research Institute with the creation of the Chandler Chair for Tinnitus Research," said Stephen Chandler, Scottsdale Foundation president, House Research Institute trustee, and House Clinic patient. "About one in five people between 55 and 65 years old report symptoms of tinnitus, and it is one of the most common disabilities for military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. We hope that our gift will provide a foundation for more general tinnitus studies, hearing loss research, and clinical trials."
To see some of the 65 Faces of the campaign, visit http://www.hei.org/stories/. To make a donation, contact the House Research Development office at 213-483-4431 or donate online at http://www.hei.org/support/donatenow.html.