Dr. George Bray: Setting the Stage for Future Success

Dr. George Bray was the Chief of Diabetes at the University of Southern California, one of the premier academic research institutions in the country, when he received a letter in 1987 asking about his interest in becoming Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s first Executive Director.

Unsure of how he should proceed, he asked his department chairman for advice. According to Dr. Bray, his chairman said, “’You have the lower floor of a four-floor building with about 10,000 square feet of research space devoted to your research activities. The entire two wings of the building you are currently in provide 80,000 square feet of research space. Pennington Biomedical is offering the new Executive Director the equivalent of three buildings the size of the one you occupy! Although I don’t usually recommend that my faculty pursue these offers, this one is so unusual that I think you should pursue it!’”

In 1989, after multiple interviews with leaders from the LSU System and the Baton Rouge community, along with a tour of the building that, at the time, was “bereft of people,” and a friend telling him

“he would be crazy not to take it,” Dr. Bray left USC, the place he had assumed he would retire from, to come to a nearly empty building with very few employees and serve as the Center’s first Executive Director.

Pennington Biomedical was taking shape through private and public investments. The real cornerstone began with “Doc” and Irene Pennington’s $125 million gift – the largest ever made to a public university at the time. Doc was adamant that the gift be used for construction only, and that none of his funding be used to support operations.

Doc was equally adamant that the nutritional research center would be built in Baton Rouge. The main LSU campus did not have enough space for the buildings, so land on their agricultural farm about two miles away on rural Perkins Road became the home for Pennington Biomedical. Dr. Bray called this decision “propitious” because of the eventual emergence of the health district in the area that changed the entire region.

“Clearly, we also needed funding for equipment and people to meet Doc’s directive to build the biggest and best nutritional research facility in the nation. The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority, led by President Victor Bussie at the time, provided bridge funding prior to support from the state. The Baton Rouge Area Foundation and then President John Davies also provided critical and significant support in the very beginning and their support has been steadfast, continuing through today. Senator J. Bennett Johnston, Congressman Richard Baker, and Congresswoman Lindy Boggs led the successful effort to procure a $9.4 million grant from the USDA to equip the first labs,” he said. always an inspiration to me in how persistence and a bit of luck can lead to a life of great reward. It was certainly a privilege to call him a friend.”

With funding in place, Dr. Bray said, “My initial challenge was convincing successful scientists with goals of academic excellence to come here and to secure grant funding.” The Pennington’s gift was “of great help” in meeting that recruiting challenge.

“I was also fortunate to be surrounded by excellent people, including Bill Silvia, Dr. David York, and Dr. Donna Ryan,” he said, who he described as key players in the development of Pennington Biomedical.

During his tenure, Dr. Bray oversaw the growth of Pennington Biomedical from a handful of employees and a million-dollar budget to a flourishing research center with more than 70 scientists, 350 employees and an annual budget of nearly $20 million.

While he was accomplishing all of this on behalf of Pennington Biomedical, he continued to make major contributions to obesity research and practice. In 1993, he established the prestigious journal Obesity Research (now known as Obesity), and served as its editor-in-chief until 1997. He also founded the journal Endocrine Practice, serving as its editor-in-chief from 1995 to 1996.

In 1999, Dr. Bray was named an LSU Boyd Professor, the highest, most prestigious distinction awarded by the LSU Board of Supervisors to faculty members who attain national or international distinction for outstanding teaching, research, or other creative achievements.

He has also been consistently named as one of the world’s most cited scientists according to the Google Scholar Citations database, but is humble in explaining its significance.

Today, Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, holds the George A. Bray, Jr. Endowed Super Chair in Nutrition. “It’s an honor to hold the Bray Super Chair and to be able to continue his research and leadership legacy. I had the great fortune of being recruited to Pennington Biomedical when it was already a well-established world-class research institution. Its status is due in large part to Dr. Bray’s accomplishments as a scientist, leader, strategist, and visionary. Much of the success you see here today is a direct result of Dr. Bray’s pioneering work and leadership,” Dr. Kirwan said.

He has many fond memories of his time at Pennington Biomedical, so many that he can’t name one as his favorite. He said he enjoys watching Pennington Biomedical’s continued growth and how the Center’s growth reflects each subsequent executive director. He credits Dr. Claude Bouchard, the Center’s second Executive Director, with building out the basic science research program.

Reflecting on the philanthropist who made all of this possible, Dr. Bray said, “Mr. Pennington was