2013 James Arthur GAIRDNER AWARDS

Stockbroker JAMES ARTHUR GAIRDNER, LLD 1893-1971 Bequeathed his house to the town of Oakville as an art gallery. While he had always had an interest in medicine, it was the onset of severe arthritis in his early 50s that led Gairdner to become involved with the newly created Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society. In 1957 he donated $500,000 to establish a foundation to recognize major research contributions in the conquest of disease and human suffering. Gairdner’s decision to create awards ($100,000)that recognize outstanding discoveries by the world’s top scientists was, and continues to be, an act of extraordinary vision. Much of his original instruction regarding the process of selection and awarding of the prizes remains in place today, contributing to the current stature of the Canada Gairdner Awards. - See more at: http://www.gairdner.org/content/james-arthur-gairdner-lld-1893-1971#sthash.J9YVdn07.dpuf