Gift to Research Center Puts Mo. Couple in Billion-Dollar-Donor Club

A Kansas City, Mo., couple has donated more than $1-billion to a genetic-research center they established in 1994.

Jim Stowers, who founded American Century Companies, a mutual-fund company formerly known as Twentieth Century Investments, and his wife, Virginia, said that they have added stocks worth $1.11-billion to the endowment of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, in Kansas City, Mo.

The couple’s gift is one of the largest ever made. Bill and Melinda Gates have made several multibillion-dollar contributions, totaling $21-billion, to their foundation, and the co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore, and his wife, Betty, have pledged $5-billion to create a family foundation.

Not Waiting Until Death

The Stowerses had planned to leave the bulk of their estate to the institute, but decided to turn over the funds now to help the institute attract talented scientists to work in its laboratories, said Kerry O’Connor, a spokeswoman for the institute.

“They want to make people realize that we’re very serious about the institute and about making it the best of its kind within 25 years.”

Ms. O’Connor said the institute hopes to increase its staff of scientists and technicians from about 40 to about 600 in the next five years. The Stowerses created the center to perform basic research into the ways genes and proteins control human cells, in the hopes of learning more about how genes contribute to diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. It opened its doors in November.

Mr. and Mrs. Stowers have each survived a bout with cancer.

GIFTS OF $1-BILLION OR MORE MADE BY LIVING AMERICANS