Daniel Iffla-Osiris: the Institut Pasteur expresses its gratitude

On March 8, the Institut Pasteur campus hosted a ceremony to pay tribute to Daniel Iffla-Osiris, the most generous benefactor the Institut Pasteur has ever known. At the ceremony, attended by Dominique Jarrassé, Chairman of the "Friends of Iffla-Osiris" Association, Christian Bréchot, President of the Institut Pasteur, and Rose-Marie Van Lerberghe, Chair of the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors, honored the memory of this philanthropist whose generous gift in 1907 marked a major milestone in the Institut Pasteur's history, giving it the resources it needed for its future development.

Their addresses were followed by the unveiling of a bronze bust of Daniel Iffla-Osiris by sculptor Sébastien Langloÿs, who also attended the event. This sculpture and the ceremony held for its inauguration reflect the Institut Pasteur's gratitude and seal the links between the foundation and Daniel Iffla-Osiris.

• Find out more about Daniel Iffla-Osiris

Daniel Iffla was born in Bordeaux in 1825 before moving to Paris at a young age and making a fortune in banking. He was involved in all the major events of the Second French Empire. He officially adopted the name Daniel Iffla-Osiris in 1861 by imperial decree. When his wife died, he became a committed philanthropist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the absence of a direct heir, he decided to bequeath his entire fortune (except for a small number of specific legacies) to the Institut Pasteur. He explained in his will: "I hereby bequeath my entire fortune to the memory of the great Pasteur, one of the most worthy notables of my country."

The payment of this legacy, the largest in the Institut Pasteur's history in 1907, representing a total of 36 million gold francs (the equivalent of €100 million today), was overseen by the executors, who included former French President Emile Loubet.

The legacy of Daniel Iffla-Osiris marked a major milestone in the Institut Pasteur's history, giving it the resources it needed for its future development. The Institut Pasteur was able to purchase new plots of land on Rue Dutot (now Rue du Docteur Roux), Rue des Volontaires and Rue de Vaugirard, which were used for subsequent extensions (virtually all the campus is now located at 28 rue du Docteur Roux). This unprecedented gift was also used to set up a strong endowment fund whose revenue would finance the daily activities of the laboratories for many years to come.

At the suggestion of Countess Greffulhe (passed on by National Assembly member Denys Cochin), this legacy was also used to set up the Institut du Radium, now known as the Institut Curie. Dr. Roux, Director of the Institut Pasteur at that time, became Vice-President of the new institute alongside Marie Curie.