On Dec. 13, 1999, the University of Washington (UW) announced that Dr. Leroy Hood, chair of the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and William Gates III Professor of Biomedical Sciences, was leaving the UW faculty to form the Institute for Systems Biology, a private non-profit research institute.

In 1991, Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corp., gave the University of Washington $12 million for the recruitment of Dr. Leroy Hood from the CA Inst. of Tech., the largest single gift ever made to the school by an individual. Dr. Hood, internationally known for his work in the immune system, held the William Gates III Endowed Chair in Biomedical Sciences.