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Mario Negri: the Founder
Mario Negri (1891-1960) was a Milanese philanthropist who left provisions in
his will to set up the research institute. His work as a jeweller earned him the
Italian Republic award of “Cavalier”, but he always found time to take an active and generous part
in many socially useful enterprises, particularly in the field of professional training.
Deeply interested in medicine and biology, in the 1950s Mario Negri purchased
a small pharmaceutical company. His personal involvement in the company’s scientific
programs led him to meet a group of young research pharmacologists working at Milan University
Institute of Pharmacology. Mario Negri subsequently gave this group generous financial
support for some of their projects, and followed their work closely. He soon realized
that despite their ability and enthusiam they would not be able to overcome the inadequacies
of university research in Italy at that time.
In 1960 Mario Negri died of cancer. In his will he left an endowment for the
establishment of a research institute, with detailed provisions for its statute and aims,
nominating Prof. Silvio Garattini – who headed the university research group – as its Director.
Mario Negri set up numerous initiatives, one of which – also still going strong – is the
Mario Negri Pension Fund for Forwarding and Transport managers, which is completely separate from
the research institute.
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