Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Philanthropy refocuses nutrition thinking

Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC) is a $26 million facility constructed as the initial component of a generous gift from Baton Rouge oilman and philanthropist Claude B. "Doc" Pennington. The US Department of Agriculture provided a $9.4 million grant for equipment for the center. The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority provided $4.1 million for initial operating capital, and the center received a $3.5 million grant from the US Army for military nutrition research. The Pennington Center Foundation, a non-profit support organization, has so far raised $4.6 million from individuals, corporations, and private foundations. Traditional academic funding sources such as the National Institute of Health are also providing funding for research.