Obituary: James E. Stowers Jr., Investor and Philanthropist

James E. Stowers Jr., a strong supporter of scientific research who developed one of the nation’s largest mutual-fund companies before becoming a philanthropist, died Monday at age 90, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Mr. Stowers started his own fund in 1958 with about $100,000 from two dozen investors. In the 1970s, recognizing the role computers would soon play in investments, Stowers wrote his own computer algorithm to streamline the stock analysis process. Today, his company, American Century Investments, manages about $141-billion.

Mr. Stowers and his wife, Virginia, donated billions of dollars to charities or foundations. Their largest charitable investment, totaling more than $2-billion over the years, was the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, which the couple founded in 1994 after both of them were treated for cancer. The nonprofit biomedical organization is dedicated to research in causes, treatment, and prevention of diseases. The couple also donated large sums to stem-cell research.