Dr. Marcus Krupp

AIRI Founder Marcus Krupp, MD

Growing up in El Paso, Texas, Dr. Marcus Krupp always dreamed of attending Stanford and becoming a doctor. He made that dream a reality and was completing his residency in internal medicine when World War II broke out.

Dr. Krupp's first real introduction to laboratory medicine came during World War II, when he was assigned to the clinical laboratory at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco. He served at several military hospitals, including a brief stint in the Philippines. After the war, he was named chief of clinical pathology at the VA Hospital in San Francisco. After four years at the VA, Dr. Russel Lee recruited him to become director of research and supervisor of laboratories in Palo Alto.

Dr. Krupp's recruited investigators conducted biomedical research of national and international significance in many areas, including immunology, heart muscle function, microbiology, genetics, coronary artery disease and medical economics.

In 1961, he saw the need for a national organization to advance the cause of independent research organizations and founded the Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI). He invited the directors and managers of 20 organizations to meet in Palo Alto in November of 1962. The institutions who participated in the first meeting were: The Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, Jackson Memorial Laboratories (The Jackson Laboratory), Lovelace Foundation, Palo Alto Medical Research Foundation, The Pasadena Foundation (Huntington Medical Research Institutes), Waldmar Medical Research Foundation, and the Worcester Foundation. Dr. Krupp wanted the "institution" to be the member of the association, not individuals from an institute.

Photos left-to-right: Donna Krupp (wife), David Issing (AIRI Former Executive Director), and Dr. Krupp in 2011; President Ron Erickson standing next to Dr. Krupp as he shares stories at AIRI 2006; President Jane Sheehan introducing Dr. Krupp in 2001 at the annual meeting.

AIRI Presidents

Since AIRI's founding in 1961, a succession of dedicated leaders from member institutions have volunteered their time and expertise to guide the association's mission. Below is the full list of AIRI Presidents, whose leadership has shaped the organization's growth and its ongoing advocacy on behalf of independent research institutes.

Photos unavailable prior to 1988.

  • 1962-1967: Marcus A. Krupp, MD (Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute)
  • 1968-1969: William L. Simpson, MD (Detroit Institute of Cancer Research)
  • 1970-1971: Richard L. Pharo, MD (Retina Foundation)
  • 1972-1973: Clayton S. White, MD (Lovelace Foundation)
  • 1974-1975: Earl L. Green, MD (Jackson Laboratory)
  • 1976-1977: Mahlon B. Hoagland, MD (Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology)
  • 1978-1979: Lewis L. Coriell, MD (Institute for Medical Research)
  • 1980-1981: Herbert Hauptman, MD (Medical Foundation of Buffalo)
  • 1982-1983: John W. Hein, MD (Forsyth Dental Center)
  • 1984-1985: Frederico Welsch, MD (Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology)
  • 1986-1987: William G. Thurman, MD (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)
  • 1988-1989: John Pratt (Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research)
  • 1990-1991: Mary Woolley (Medical Research Institute of San Francisco)
  • 1992-1993: Gilbert M. Schiff, MD (James N. Gamble Institute)
  • 1994-1995: Kenneth P. Trevett, JD (Dana Farber Cancer Institute)
  • 1996-1997: David Beck, PhD (Coriell Institute for Medical Research)
  • 1998-1999: Patricia Tanski (Buck Institute for Research on Aging)
  • 2000-2001: Ruth Poole (Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute)
  • 2002-2003: Jane Sheehan, Esq. (Foundation for Blood Research)
  • 2004-2005: Randy Main (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)
  • 2006-2007: Ronald J. Erickson (Neuropsychiatric Research Institute)
  • 2008-2009: Chip Morgan (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)
  • 2010-2011: Kim E. Witmer (Salk Institute for Biological Studies)
  • 2012-2013: Larry A. Keinath, CPA (The Wistar Institute)
  • 2014-2015: Gregory M. L. Patterson, PhD (Texas Biomedical Research Institute
  • 2016-2017: Cary E. Thomas (Scripps Research Institute)
  • 2018-2019: Lari Russo, CPA (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • 2020-2021: Tim Hassen, CPA (Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation)
  • 2022-2023: Jeri Bowers (MDI Biological Laboratory)
  • 2024: Frank Dwyer (Salk Institute for Biological Studies)
  • 2024-2026: David Cabrera (Van Andel Institute)

Photos left-to-right: Dr. Krupp with past presidents in 2001, 2006, and 2011. Photos courtesy of David Issing.

Top left photo: David Cabrera, Frank Dwyer, and David Issing. Top center photo: Past Presidents with AIRI Founder, Dr. Marcus Krupp, to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of AIRI in La Jolla, California in 2011. Pictured left-right, back row: Randy Main, Chip Morgan, Jane Sheehan, Esq, Ron Erickson, and Larry Keinath, CPA; bottom row: Mary Wooley, Ruth Poole, Marcus A. Krupp, MD and Kim E. Witmer. Top right photo: Dr. Krupp with David Issing, who has served as AIRI’s Executive Director from 2000-2025. Issing reflected, “It was an extreme honor to have met the person who founded this unique and incomparable Association. Dr. Krupp was truly an innovator and a one of a kind.”; Dr. Krupp passed away in 2014 at the age of 100.