LEONARD TOW

TOW--Leonard. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) community notes with tremendous sadness the death of our longtime friend and visionary philanthropist Leonard Tow. Leonard and his wife Claire's transformative partnership with MSK spanned nearly five decades, significantly advancing cancer care and research. What began with a modest donation to MSK in 1976 grew into one of the most productive philanthropic relationships in MSK's history - a story of collaboration and commitment to turning bold ideas into new treatments and better outcomes for people with cancer. In addition to providing critical support to MSK's staff through endowed chairs and fellowships, the Tows' philanthropy enabled the creation of the Claire Tow Pediatric Pavilion, which opened in 2004 and greatly improved the experience of children treated at MSK. In 2010, they established the first microbiome research program at any cancer center. They also partnered with MSK to create the Tow Center for Developmental Oncology, as well as to launch initiatives in radiotheranostics and computational immuno-oncology, positioning MSK at the forefront of these promising fields. Indeed, Leonard's willingness to support high-risk, high- reward research enabled breakthrough discoveries that conventional funding often deemed too uncertain. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Tow family and heartfelt gratitude for Leonard's extraordinary commitment to MSK's mission of ending cancer for life. Scott M. Stuart, Chair of the MSK Board of Trustees Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, President and CEO of MSK