Virtua Foundation Humanitarian

Award

Virtua Foundation’s Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual or

organization that has made significant contributions to improve the

health and well-being of families in our community. Humanitarian

Award Honorees are trailblazers who transform healthcare or other

community resources through extraordinary leadership, innovation

and philanthropic support. Their compassion and generosity inspire

others to participate and establish a legacy that impacts families

today and far into the future.

2016

Foundation

The Humanitarian Award Honoree will be recognized at the 2016 Virtua Gala.

In Marvin Samson’s version of the American Dream, rising from poverty to become a highly regarded businessman and entrepreneur was only the beginning. The rest of Mr. Samson’s story evolved around a determination to leverage his success to improve the lives of others.

Mr. Samson dedicates his time, talent and support to a number of organizations across the region. He is deeply committed to building a better future for South Jersey families, particularly through his partnership with Virtua.

Virtua and the Foundation are honored by Mr. Samson’s commit-ment and are proud to recognize him as the 2016 Virtua Foundation Humanitarian Award Recipient.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Mr. Samson worked hard for each and every personal triumph. He began delivering newspapers at a very early age. As a high school student during the 1950s, he was a drug store clerk, where he earned 50 cents an hour and occasional tips for delivering prescriptions. After graduation, he studied chemistry at Temple University at night, while working by day at Garde Drug Co., a small firm that developed non-branded versions of leading over-the-counter medications.

These early experiences would set the stage for Mr. Samson to become a leading generic drug entrepreneur with a passion for supporting advances in health care, especially in his own community.

Throughout his career, Mr. Samson helped found and lead a number of pharmaceutical-related companies including: Elkins-Sinn, Inc., (today,

Humanitarian Award Honoree

Marvin SamsonWest-Ward Pharmaceuticals); Marsam Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Samson Medical Technologies, L.L.C., a company specializing in injectable drug delivery systems for hospital and alternate site pharmacists. He also holds five U.S. patents pertaining to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Mr. Samson dedicates his leadership to numerous charitable and industry boards. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and was its Interim President for the 2011-12 and part of 2014-15 academic years.

In addition, he is a member of the Virtua Board of Directors, and serves on the boards of NanoPass Technologies Ltd., Flynn Pharma, Antares Pharma Inc., The Franklin Institute and Cooper Rowan Medical School. He is a past chairman of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association and a past president of the PDE, a pharmaceutical trade association.

Marvin Samson visits with pediatric patient families at Virtua Voorhees.

For many years, Mr. Samson made charitable contributions anony-mously. He gave not for attention or accolades, but to transform organizations and industries that impact the quality of life for families in his community. In 2011, he made his first public gift to Virtua Foundation: $1 million to establish a state-of-the art centralized medication distribution service. This gives Virtua hospitals the safest, most efficient medication management system available.

He spoke publicly about this transformational gift because he believes his commitment will en-courage and inspire others to give.

“Someone I very much respected said to me, ‘If you are going to give something, you should put your name on it; it will encourage others to do the same,‘“ said Mr. Samson.

While Mr. Samson’s expertise is in pharmaceuticals, his true passion is to support children and ensure a better future for young people in our communities. This is why Virtua Foundation recognized his philanthropic commitment by naming the Pediatric and Pediatric Intensive Care units at Virtua

Voorhees hospital in his honor.

“I do not see my investment

as one of bricks and mortar.

It’s more far reaching.

I invest in people. Perhaps

one of the kids we help here

at Virtua will discover a novel

cure for cancer, will find a

renewable energy source,

create beautiful art or music,

write great fiction or raise

amazing children who lead

our country into the future.”

– Marvin Samson

Marvin Samson surrounded by his family at the dedication of the Marvin Samson Foundation Pediatric and Pediatric Intensive Care Units at Virtua Voorhees on May 31, 2012.

Foundation

Please join Virtua and Virtua Foundation

as we honor Marvin Samson

at the 2016 Virtua Gala

on Saturday, March 5, 2016 at the

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

For sponsorship information and tickets visit foundation.virtua.org