The decision by the then-new director, Dr. James Watson, to initiate an effort to research cancer-causing viruses at CSHL led to the second expansion at James Laboratory. The second floor added in 1961 was now a teaching laboratory for the cell culture and animal viruses courses. When Joseph Sambrook and other prominent tumor virologists were hired, a new era of tumor virus research was launched with James Laboratory at its center. Providing additional study and administrative space was the next task. A fortuitous meeting with John Davenport (no relation to Charles Davenport), a retired Pfizer executive who had promoted tumor virus research at Pfizer, resulted in his gift of $100,000. It was used to start an addition to the south side of the original concrete building.
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