Late in 1953, the aviator and industrialist Howard R. Hughes created the institute that bears his name and decided to fund its work through the profits of the Hughes Aircraft Company. In the ensuing 50 years, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute defined its mission, grew, and began to contribute significantly to biomedical research. • The Institute celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala dinner celebration on Sunday, November 2, 2003, followed the next day by a scientific symposium entitled "HHMI at 50: Catalyst for Discovery." continued...

Photographs by Paul Fetters

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Reprinted from the HHMI Bulletin, December 2003, pages 28-29.
©2003 Howard Hughes Medical Institute