"I H

EC

Varmus Portrait Dedicated in Bldg. 1

By Rich McManus
T Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, Dr. Harold
Varmus returned on Tan. 15 for the formal unveiling of his

hree years after leaving directorship of NIH to head Memorial

portrait-a tradition-observed by all
past NIH directors. At a Wilson Hall
ceremony attended by many of his
former colleagues and recruits, Varmus
gave an art history lesson explaining the
portrait, which includes him in the
foreground, seated and looking gregari-
ous in an open-collared shirt, and a
prominent backdrop featuring a famous
painting, executed by Jacques Louis
David in 1788, of French scientist
Antoine Laurent Lavoisier and his wife
Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze.

The Varmus portrait is the work of

SEE VARMUS PORTRAIT UNVEILED, PAGE 6

Harold Varmus shares
his observations about
new portrait in Bldg. 1.

VARMUS PORTRAIT UNVEILED. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

artist Jon R. Friedman, whose renderings of former
National Academy of Sciences president Dr. Frank
Press and of Dr. Maxine Singer, an NCI scientist
who now heads the Carnegie Institution of Washing-
ton, had impressed Varmus. Friedman spoke briefly
at the ceremony, also attended by Varmus's wife
Connie Casey, who unveiled the artwork.

and read a letter from former Rep. John E. Porter

NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni emceed the affair,

Varmus and Zerhouni stand beside the finished worc
which features Varmus sitting before a famous old
painting by French artist Jacques Louis David.

` Varmus chats with
NIH director Dr.
Elias Zerhouni
and former NIMH
director Dr. Steven
Hyman (c) at the
event; Hyman,
now provost at
Harvard Univer-
sity, spoke
candidly about
Varmus's tenure as
NIH director.

PHOTOS: JOHN
  CRAWFORD

gous to herding cats." Even greater than Varmus's
success winning large NIH budgets from Congress,
Porter said, was his ability to achieve "vastly
increased public awareness of the benefits of
science. "
Offering more of a traditional roast of the day's
honoree was Dr. Steven Hyman, whom Varmus
recruited to direct NIMH, and who now is provost
at Harvard University. "SO what do you say about a
man who is truly larger than life?" he began.
Hyman said NIH appeared, at least from an extra-
mural perspective, to be in the doldrums prior to
Varmus's arrival in 1993. "With Harold's arrival,
things really seemed to change quickly and with an
upward trajectory that I don't think anyone could
have predicted. ''
Hyman said Varmus's great gift was an insistence
on quality science and its benefits for society. "He
believed in talking honestly and directly, with no
funny business ... Nothing is more effective than
frank communication.
"The thing about Harold," he continued, "is that
he is relentlessly about content." Varmus was rather
less tolerant of the minutiae and procedure of
bureaucracy, Hyman added. "When that stuff came
up, his eyes glazed over and a look of boredom and
disapproval swept over his face ... If you were so
dense that you didn't know your conversation with
him was over, he'd give another hint by going over
to his desk and reading his email.
"Harold was all about high standards and being
honest about what good science was-this, and his
integrity, made him a great boss. Harold always
protected your back. Even remarkably radical
reforms could go forward (under his direction), if
they bettered science. He really made the job of
being an institute director incredibly rewarding."

Hyman praised Varmus's skills as a recruiter,

noting that candidates should have interpreted it as
a sign of respect when Varmus met them while sti
dripping wet from exercise, or when Varmus took
them to Bethesda's no-frills restaurants for recruit-
ment pitches. He noted that, under Varmus, "the
necktie was demoted at NIH as a symbol of polite
dress."

Hyman concluded, "Harold was all about sub-
stance, content, high quality science, and he was
entirely unapologetic about it. He wasn't about
marketing or making compromises. His tenure led
to enormous morale and camaraderie. That sense oil

Just after Varmus
announced his
intention, in fall I999,1
to leave NIH, some
colleagues put up a
mock portrait
featuring artwork
had accompanied a
New Yorker feature
on Varmus. The
proto-portrait only
remained on view ffl
several days.

putting science first was such a positive influence,
and a spectacular asset for NIH and the American
people."

Zerhouni then spoke of how influential Varmus
had been in helping him to decide to take NIHs
directorship. He divulged that he at first turned ,
down the position, but reconsidered when the Wd
House approached him again. Zerhouni won an
exception to the White House rule barring nomid
from talking with anyone about their job offer; ``I
told them I needed to talk to Harold Varmus ab+
it, and they agreed. We met at the Harvard Club).
New York, and those hours were very influential,

Zerhomi said. "Ninety-five percent of what he told

rmus's major strength was
n support for NIH. He created a
iticians at NIH. They can meet

no overriding political stress." Zerhouni

easure Varmus's status by the

budget within 5 years, but
to measure the outcome of his
director's portrait changed in
her accomplishments?" he

e launched, or by his

wondered. "The portraits would range in size from
postage stamps to frescoes. And you, Harold, would
cover all the wall downstairs."
Varmus then took the podium, thanking everyone
for attending. "This is a very happy event for me, in
part because I really like this portrait ... I didn't expect
to say that. I'm also glad that it hangs here, not
me."
He credited NIH with turning him into a scientist,
while he served as a clinical associate here from 1968
to 1970 as a way of avoiding the Vietnam war. He
then described why the background portrait of
hoisier--"founder of modern chemistry and
reductionist science"-was important to him. "The
Painting celebrates science in four ways," he said: it
emphasizes the connection between science and art;
It highlights the relationship between science and
words (Lavoisier can be seen working on his Traite`
elementaire de Chimie or Elementary Treatise on
Chemistry presented in a New Order according to
Mo*n Discoveries, published on Jan. 17, 1789); it
dePlcts the benefits of science and marriage; and it
the relationship of science to politics
(lavoisier was a member of the French ruling class).
var,us concluded that it was important to him
that the portrait "puts me in the backdrop of my
ownhimage.'' He noted, ironically, that both he and
`eoriginal David portrait occupy opposite ends of
84th St. in New York-his apartment is at one end,
and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which

'amus portrait was installed on the first floor of

the roughly 7x9-foot portrait, is at the other.
guests enjoyed a reception in Wilson Hall, the

g. 1, just outside the director's office.