One of the most famous international organizations in San Diego is nearly invisible to the public. It’s the Salk Institute on Torrey Pines Road.
Inside the cement wings of the building overlooking the Pacific Ocean reside more than 1,000 scientists, researchers, administrators and students dedicated to conducting basic science research to improve human health.
The nonprofit institute was founded by Jonas Salk, the polio vaccine pioneer in l960, on land donated by the city of San Diego and financially supported by the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.
In the 40-plus years since it was founded, it has become home to three resident Nobel laureates and three non-resident Nobel laureates. Twelve faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and four are fellows of the Royal Society of London, the National Academy’s British equivalent.
Inside the laboratory are 22 labs with 56 scientists, 150 graduate students and 50 post-doctoral researchers. The institute sits on 26 acres with the majority of the work being done in two buildings designed by the modernist architect Louis Kahn.
In addition to the major research being done inside to benefit mankind around the world, locally the institute pumps more than $55 million into our economy.
Under the leadership of new President and CEO Richard Murphy (yes, there are now two prominent Richard Murphys) the institute is striving to let more people around the world know what they do. In addition to weekday morning tours of the campus, the institute also has begun a series of symphony performances on the deck overlooking the Pacific Ocean, which are open to the public.
The Salk Institute is one of the top research organizations in the world and draws acclaim from every corner on the frontier of basic research. The next time you drive down Torrey Pines Road to the glider port, you will be passing by one of the most heralded institutions in the world.
To the balance sheet:
Debit: To all the citizens of our nation who are pointing fingers at Californians and claiming we are squandering our energy and therefore it is a California problem.
Well maybe they should think about the following:
– California ranks 48th in the nation in power consumed per person.
– California grows more than half of the nation’s fruit, nuts and vegetables.
– California grows 99 percent of the nation’s almonds, artichokes, dates, figs, olives, raisins and persimmons.
– California is the nation’s No. 1 dairy state.
– California has half the defense budget in the country and produces more than 60 percent of our weapons systems.
So I guess we should begin saying we are going to keep our products and not ship them around the nation for consumption and our statewide motto outside California will become, “Where’s the milk?”
The rest of America had better lighten up on us because, while we don’t have enough power plants yet, they don’t produce enough food, write enough software, make enough movies, build enough airplanes and defense systems or make enough wine (we bottle 17 million gallons annually) to complain.
