Little did anyone know, just a few short days ago when the Iris & Michael Smith Clinics and Laboratories were dedicated, that National Jewish Medical and Research Center would become the center of worldwide attention as a Georgia man with a rare and drug-resistant type of tuberculosis was admitted for treatment.
The dedication was attended by several hundred local and national VIPs, and speakers, including U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, not only recalled how National Jewish opened its doors in 1889 to serve destitute victims of tuberculosis but predicted how scientists working in the new building would find cures for diseases that have not even been identified today.
Former Denverites Michael and Iris Smith gave the $5 million lead gift to design and build the $25 million, 93,600-square-foot building located on the Colorado Boulevard and East Colfax Avenue side of the National Jewish campus. Researchers who now call the new building “home” include Drs. Pippa Marrack and John Kappler, who discovered the gene for the T-cell receptor and superantigens, activators that induce toxic shock and other illnesses; Dr. Greg Downey and Dr. Richard Martin.
All in the (Smith) family
Michael Smith made his fortune in the oil and gas industry, and the couple now has homes in four states. He was the founder, CEO, president and largest shareholder in Basin Exploration until its sale in 2001; he is now CEO and chairman of Freeport LNG Investments in Houston and co-owner of Freeport LNG-GP Inc.
At the dedication, Michael said that his interest in National Jewish stems from the fact that he was diagnosed with asthma as a college student in Fort Collins. “It wasn’t until I joined the National Jewish board in 1992 that I realized how serious those asthma attacks were. Fortunately, the doctors that treated me in Fort Collins had been trained at National Jewish.”
Guests at the dedication also included Gov. Bill Ritter; Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar; Stephen Arendt, chairman of the National Jewish board; Dr. Michael Salem, the hospital’s chief executive; Daniel Yohannes, who with his wife, Saron, was a $500,000 donor; Eddie and Susan Robinson, who gave $250,000; Tom Gart; Jim Galbreath; Sally Rippey; Steve Farber; David Engleberg; former hospital chief Lynn Taussig and his wife, Lisa; Marsha and Ted Alpert; Dick Tucker; Dr. Richard Krugman; and Lester Gold.
Society editor Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com. She also contributes at
