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 in using information and information technology to achieve its objective to help in 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 is based on the idea that information networks and technology are essential to improve the quality of life for all Americans and realize the nation's full potential. These principles were developed after decades of partnership with leaders in business, government, technology, and public advocacy. They serve as guide to the work being carried out by the organization, which includes:

1. Collaboration- collaboration across sectors is key to finding solutions that work in our complex, connected world.
2. Civil Liberties- safeguards must be in place to protect civil liberties and establish trust.
3. Broad Participation- decentralized, distributed networks empower a wide array of actors to use and expand the power of information.
4. Policy & Technology- guidelines must be developed in tandem to allow for trusted information sharing and collaboration.
5. Transformation- as a nation, we must transform how we think and operate to enhance health and national security for future generations.

Leadership Timeline

John and Mary Markle established the foundation in 1927 with an initial endowment of $3 million. Their objective is to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge for the general good of mankind.

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 best recognized as John Markle's inspiration in the 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 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 which amounted to more than $16 million.

Lloyd N. Morrissett served the foundation from 1969-1997 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

Markles 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:

1. 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 tackles the key challenges of creating a networked health information environment that enables secure and private information sharing when and where it is needed to improve health and health care.
2. Advancing National Security in a Connected World- this initiative is focused in keeping America safe by transforming how the goverment does business. The foundation's primary vehicle in this work is done through the Markle Task Force on National Security, which focuses on making policy recommendations in developing a trusted information sharing framework through the best use of available technology and management.

The latest initiatives of Markle Task Force is the participation of its Chief of Research Stefaan Verhulst, in participates 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.