Markle
 | |
| Type: | Non-Profit |
| Industry: | Health & National Security |
| Founded: | 1927 |
| Founder(s): | John and Mary R. Markle |
| Headquarters: | 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 16th Floor New York, NY 10020-1903 |
| Country: | USA |
| Website: | Markle.org |
| Blog: | Connected World Blog |
| Key People | |
| Zoe Baird, President | |
Markle is a New York based non-profit organization dedicated to using information and information technology for the advancement of health and national security in the United States. Zoe Baird serves as the president of the foundation.
Core Principles
The core principles of the Markle foundation were based on the idea that information networks and technology are essential to improving the quality of life for all Americans and to achieve the nation's full potential. The principles were developed in partnership with leaders in business, government, technology, and public advocacy, and they include:[1]
- Collaboration- Collaboration is to find lasting solutions, work and connect with the world.
- Civil Liberties- Markle ensures that the nation's civil liberties are protected in order to establish trust.
- Broad Participation- The foundation believes that a decentralization and distribution of the networks empowers people to maximize the power of information.
- Policy & Technology- Information sharing and collaboration needs guidelines to establish trust and partnership
- Transformation- To be able to improve health and national security the nation must change its mindset and operate in way that will benefit the next generation.
Leadership Timeline
John and Mary Markle established the foundation in 1927 with an initial endowment of $3 million. Their objective was to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge for the general good of mankind.[2]
John Markle was an inventor, industrialist and financier. He served the foundation as president and treasurer until 1933. On the other hand, Mary Markle was a generous supporter of several New York charities and she was recognized as John Markle's inspiration in establishing of the foundation.
JP Morgan Jr. became president of Markle in 1934. He led the foundation in providing financial support to individuals and institutions dedicated in serving humanity in the field of medicine.
Thomas William Lamont served the foundation from 1936-1947. He continued the work and vision of his predecessors by supporting grant making efforts to help promote and advance research and academic excellence in medical science.
George Whitney succeeded Lamont in 1947 and refined the mission of the foundation by instilling programs specifically focusing on cultivating a new generation of leaders in academic medicine. He served the organization until 1960 as president, and as chairman until 1963.
John McFarlane Russell assumed as president of Markle until 1969. He launched the Markle Scholars in Medicine Program, and during his leadership 506 medical practitioners received grants worth more than $16 million.
Lloyd N. Morrissett served the foundation from 1969 to 1997, and initiated a program to advance the use of communications technology to promote early childhood education, lifelong learning and the continuous cultivation of an informed society.
Zoe Baird is the current president of Markle. She succeeded Morrissett in 1998 and expanded the vision of her predecessors in harnessing the potential of technology to improve people's lives. Under her leadership Markle is focusing on accelerating the development of trusted information-sharing environments to address the nation's needs in health and national security.
Work
Markle's work is centered on achieving the full potential of information technology to deal with the critical needs of the public in health and national security by collaborating with innovators and thought leaders from public and private sectors who are expert in the areas of information technology, privacy, civil liberties, health, and national security. The foundation is working towards:[3]
- Advancing Health in a Connected World- its primary objective is to widely increase the changes needed to achieve the full benefits of health information technology while protecting the privacy, security, and personal health information of patients. Markle Connecting for Health is focused on improving the current health and health care situations in the United States by developing a secure and private health information sharing environment.
- Advancing National Security in a Connected World- is an initiative which seeks to transform how America conducts its business to ensure the safety of the entire nation. Markle Task Force on National Security is the foundation's primary vehicle used to attain its goal of helping to achieve comprehensive national security by recommending policies that promote a trusted information sharing framework, maximizing the use and management of available technology.
The latest initiatives of Markle Task Force is the participation of its Chief of Research Stefaan Verhulst, on the working group that will tackle the Challenges of Cyberspace Research to balance cyber security with respect for democracy, governance and human rights, and the preservation of cyberspace as an open commons.[4]