The Legacy of HHMI’s Board Chairs

For more than four decades, HHMI’s board chairs have played a central role in guiding the Institute’s growth and impact. Their leadership and contributions have helped position HHMI to continue advancing scientific discovery and improving the culture of science — now and for generations to come.

 
HHMI Board Chair 2010-2020

Kurt L. Schmoke, JD (b. 1949)

Kurt L. Schmoke is a dedicated public servant and academic leader. After graduating from Yale in 1971 and studying at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, he received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1976. Schmoke served as a member of the White House Domestic Policy Staff under President Carter before becoming an assistant US attorney for the District of Maryland. In 1987, he was elected the first black mayor of Baltimore City, a position he held for three terms until 1999. President George H. W. Bush awarded Schmoke the National Literacy Award for his promotion of adult literacy as mayor. Following his mayoralty, he became Dean of the Howard University School of Law from 2003 to 2012, after which he held positions as the university’s General Counsel and interim Provost. Since 2014, he has served as President of the University of Baltimore. 

Schmoke was appointed as an HHMI Trustee in 2005 and served as Chair of the board from 2010 to 2020. As Chair, Schmoke oversaw a significant expansion of the Institute’s Investigator Program and the creation of the Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program, as well as the opening of the award-winning Tangled Bank Studiosexternal link, opens in a new tab. 
HHMI Board Chair 1997-2010

Hanna H. Gray, PhD (b. 1930)

Hanna H. Gray is a celebrated historian and academic leader who served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, president of Yale University, and president of the University of Chicago. She was the first woman to hold each of these positions. During her tenure at Chicago, which lasted from 1978 to 1993, she increased enrollment, expanded university buildings, and oversaw comprehensive changes to undergraduate and graduate programs. Gray received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 in recognition of her contributions to education. 
 
Gray was appointed as one of HHMI’s Charter Trustees in 1984 and served as Chair from 1997 to 2010. Her years of board leadership saw the creation of the Janelia Research Campusexternal link, opens in a new tab and the expansion of the Institute’s grant programs, which helped make HHMI the largest private supporter of science education in the United States. The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program at HHMI, established by HHMI in 2017 in her honor, seeks to “recruit, mentor, and inspire the next generation of scientists from all backgrounds.” 
HHMI Board Chair 1990-1997

Irving S. Shapiro (b. 1916, d. 2001)

Irving S. Shapiro was a renowned attorney, executive, and political adviser. He began his career as a lawyer in the Justice Department during World War II, arguing multiple cases before the United States Supreme Court. After transitioning to the private sector, he served as Chairman and CEO of the DuPont Company from 1974 to 1981. During that time, he counseled national policymakers as chairman of the Business Roundtable and became a personal advisor to President Carter. Shapiro was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.
 
One of HHMI’s Charter Trustees, Shapiro served as board Chair from 1990 to 1997. Shapiro was instrumental in establishing HHMI’s endowment with proceeds from the sale of the Hughes Aircraft Company and helping expand the Institute’s investments in basic scientific discovery. His term as Chair included the design and construction of HHMI’s 22-acre headquarters campus in Chevy Chase, MD, which the Washington Post praised as an “architectural miracle.”