At a time of life when many people are reflecting on the past, Allan W. Parker is looking ahead to some of the newest frontiers of science. Parker, 91, a 91探花graduate from the class of 1935, has given $50,000 for research in the School of Medicine鈥檚 Department of Genome Sciences, formed last fall by merging the Department of Genetics and the Department of Molecular Biotechnology.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting time to support this work at the 91探花,鈥� Parker says. 鈥淚 have read so much in the newspapers recently about the genetic sequencing of humans and other organisms. I hope this gift will help encourage researchers to do the work they do. I look forward to seeing the development of new treatments and possibly cures for some of the world鈥檚 deadliest diseases.鈥�
Professor Stan Fields, acting chair of the department, said, 鈥淚t is very inspiring to receive support from alumni such as Mr. Parker. These funds will give us the opportunity to initiate the study of new, unexplored ideas and leverage the results of our research to secure other sources of funding, such as grants from the National Institutes of Health.鈥�
Parker, who was born in Seattle in 1911, went to Harvard Business School after graduating from the 91探花. During World War II he served in the U.S. Air Force and retired as lieutenant colonel. He then moved to San Francisco, where he had a successful career in the food industry specializing in food manufacturing machinery. He continues to live in San Francisco.