SLS 18RS-3358 ORIGINAL
2018 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 173
BY SENATORS CLAITOR, ERDEY AND WARD
COMMENDATIONS. Commends the many accomplishments of Pennington Biomedical
Research Center during its 30 years of service and expresses gratitude, posthumously, to
Claude B. and Irene Pennington for their generous philanthropy.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend the many accomplishments of Pennington Biomedical Research Center during
3 its thirty years of service and to express profound thanks and gratitude,
4 posthumously, to Claude B. and Irene Pennington for their generous philanthropy
5 that established Pennington Biomedical Research Center and continues to support
6 it.
7 WHEREAS, LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center (Pennington
8 Biomedical) began as the vision of the late Louisiana philanthropist Claude B. "Doc"
9 Pennington "to build the biggest and best nutritional research facility in the nation", a vision
10 supported by the generous donation of Claude B. and Irene Pennington; and
11 WHEREAS, by 1989 Pennington Biomedical had signed a $3.5 million research
12 agreement with the United States Army and for three decades has secured more than $80
13 million to conduct 130 research studies for the United States Department of Defense and
14 continues to meet the nutritional needs of our nation's warfighters; and
15 WHEREAS, the center has never deviated from its mission "to discover the triggers
16 of chronic diseases through innovative research that improves human health across the
17 lifespan" through research that includes collaborative efforts with public and private
18 institutions designed to enhance Louisiana's research infrastructure; and
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SLS 18RS-3358 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, the researchers at Pennington Biomedical rank among the world's
2 research elite, annually winning major competitive grants to fund their work, with each
3 Pennington Biomedical scientist/entrepreneur member bringing in $630,000 annually; and
4 WHEREAS, across thirty years, the state of Louisiana has appropriated $257 million
5 for Pennington Biomedical's basic operating expenses and Pennington Biomedical faculty
6 entrepreneurs have generated an additional $826 million in extramural funding, making
7 Pennington Biomedical an economic engine for the state; and
8 WHEREAS, the center's research contributions are among the most quoted in
9 scientific literature; and
10 WHEREAS, Pennington Biomedical is a world-renowned institution with ongoing
11 clinical research trials with Louisiana participants testing ground-breaking new treatments
12 for obesity and diabetes; and
13 WHEREAS, the center has participated in the development of medications within
14 every class of pharmaceuticals available to treat diabetes, which is epidemic in Louisiana;
15 and
16 WHEREAS, 2018 is Pennington Biomedical Research Center's thirtieth anniversary
17 year and it is an appropriate time to acknowledge the history of this Louisiana resource as
18 it continues its dedicated work to achieve "Doc" Pennington's vision.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
20 does hereby recognize and commend the many accomplishments of Pennington Biomedical
21 Research Center during its thirty years of service as well as express and publicly document
22 profound thanks and gratitude, posthumously, to Claude B. and Irene Pennington for their
23 generous philanthropy that established Pennington Biomedical Research Center and
24 continues to support it.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
26 Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
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SLS 18RS-3358 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 173 Original 2018 Regular Session Claitor
Commends Pennington Biomedical Research Center for 30 years of service and expresses
profound thanks and gratitude, posthumously, to Claude B. and Irene Pennington for their
generous philanthropy.
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